


Bring Me to Death

by Alley_Cat



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-12 19:07:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 131,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5677168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alley_Cat/pseuds/Alley_Cat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Circa Buffy S04E11, Angel S01E10, and goes AU from there. Buffy puts on a brave front as everyone around her abandoned her. Betrayed by her friends, she tries to figure out what The Initiative is doing in Sunnydale, and what is Project 3-14? Angel fights to stay away, but when Buffy's life is put in danger, he rushes over to Sunnydale to take care of business. B/A all the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for the story before you was born sometime in 2012, but it remained an undeveloped one until recently. Musie, who has been stubbornly absent for months now, finally came back with a fury, and so I bring to you this new story. It's a Buffy/Angel as they are my one true pairing when it comes to BtVS, but you'll find the Scooby-Gang, Cordelia, Wesley, The PTBs, and The Initiative in here as well.
> 
> So please join me on this journey that I've named Bring Me to Death.
> 
> I played a bit with the timelines and events, so please suspend everything you know about Angel Season 01 and Buffy Season 4.

**Chapter 01**

_Sunnydale, January 2000_

Her friends were shutting her out. Her Watcher didn't need her anymore. And her mother…well, her mother had practically moved out of the state to get away from her. Her father hadn't been in the picture for so long, she no longer counted him as part of those who'd left her.

She could have handled it, though. She could have handled every single one of the deserters if it weren't for him leaving as well.

Her love, the one person who'd made any sense in this freak-show that was her life, the single being who walked the night as much as she did, who understood her better than she understood herself sometimes, had left.

He didn't just leave, however. No, he'd torn her heart out from inside her chest and left her bleeding. He saw no future for them, wanted no future for them.

She was finding that she didn't know if she had one that didn't include him in it.

Angel had walked away, silently sliding into the night as he did so many times before. This time, she knew, he wouldn't be returning to her. He left her standing in the middle of the road, outside the ruins of what'd used to be her high school, and disappeared.

He didn't even say goodbye.

He'd told her he wouldn't say goodbye, but she wasn't sure if it she were better or worse for it.

It's been months since she'd last seen him, the shadows of the night swallowing his large form as he walked away, and during these months, she did her best to move on.

But how can one move on when one is still bleeding? How can her chest heal when it is missing the heart?

She tried nonetheless. Encouraged—or, more accurately, pushed—to date other people. None of them were him, and even though she told herself to stop making the comparison, she found her dates lacking. It wasn't their fault, she knew. It was hers. She was the one who was broken. She was the one who couldn't warm up regardless of how many layers of clothing she wore or how close to the fire she stood.

As Buffy stood in the middle of the empty ballroom inside Crawford mansion, she cried silently. With every moment that passed, she felt as though another piece of her soul had crumbled inside her. And the loneliness…it was like a hungry beast, clawing its way inside her, gaining yet another inch of ground even as she tried to fight it.

Her father couldn't handle the problems at her school so he'd left her and her mother and didn't even bother to keep in touch. Her mother couldn't handle the supernatural part of her daughter's life so she'd gone so far as to throw her out of the house at one point. Her friends, the ones who, initially, couldn't get enough of the "action" had decided that they had futures of their own to think of, futures that—apparently—did not include the Slayer in them; it didn't stop them from thinking that they knew what was best for her, though. Her Watcher had clearly decided that she was old enough to handle things on her own and was now focusing on his new business—a magic supply shop he'd purchased shortly after their graduation and the subsequent destruction of the Sunnydale High, his previous place of employment.

It had not been the first time in her life she had felt deserted by these people but, before, there had still been  _him_.

Angel.

Even thinking his name caused her pain now, brought more tears to her eyes.

He told her that she needed to move on with her life. So she tried.

She threw herself into her academics, taking a heavier course load in an attempt to keep her mind busy. She began patrolling for longer periods of time when the nightly dreams left her in pain and feeling empty, for they replayed each and every time Angel had left her, and there were plenty of them, including the morning after her seventeenth birthday.

There had been one memorable, disastrous date with a student named Parker. It didn't take her long to realized that another man's touch left her cold and on the edge of pain, so she'd cut things short and tried to ignore the malicious gossip that claimed she'd ended up in bed with the creep. After that, Buffy became very adept at putting on a brave face, turning down her friends' invitations to "go meet hot guys" in frat parties, and pretending that she was getting better, that she was forgetting.

There had been a small reprieve from her friends' insistence that she date other students to prove to them that she was over Angel. It was when Oz had developed an infatuation with a female werewolf, leaving Willow in need of Buffy's help. That help was painful to give when Oz left, and Buffy relived Angel's departure all over again, but she'd been there for her friend nonetheless.

The reprieve proved to be short-lived.

Willow's misdealing of her grief had caused her to cast a spell that nearly killed all of them as demons and monsters came after Xander. Buffy shuddered as she thought about how Willow's spell failed to affect her, even as it affected all of the others. The only reason she could find for it was that she had grown too cold inside for the magic to touch her heart. That, or Willow didn't really consider her a friend anymore when she said that her friends were demon-magnets.

Crossing the empty ballroom to stand in front of the dark fireplace, Buffy wondered if the second possibility was better or worse than the first.

The mantle was dusty as she touched the cold marble, but the temperature reminded her of him, so she lifted her fingers and wrapped her arms around herself.

Once Willow's spell had been lifted, things went back to how they were before. Perhaps even worse than before, Buffy mused as she gazed, unseeing, into the darkness of the hearth before her. Soon after those events, Willow had met a friend in the Wicca group, Tara, and since then had spent most of her time with the white witch.

Xander, after giving up his dream of touring the country, was now juggling dead-end jobs with a demanding girlfriend in the form of ex-vengeance demon Anya. His hands were too full to notice that he did not hear from Buffy in days, possibly weeks, at a time.

Buffy preferred it that way. When Xander was focusing his attention on her it was usually to give unwanted advice or critique.

When the academic load was no longer enough to keep her head busy and away from thoughts about Angel, she buried herself in the ancient texts Giles held in his house. She would take one of his books, swipe the covers with one of her textbooks, and take the book with her. Once she was done with one book, she continued to the next one, using the same trick. Some of the writings were boring, but others gave her a great deal of knowledge that she had used against the things that she came across during her nightly patrols.

In the past, she'd done her best to avoid research by feigning incompetence. It was easier to keep her friends safe if they thought she needed them to do the research part while she did the fighting. It hadn't always worked, and she carried the burden of every injury caused to them. Even discounting the torture Angelus had inflicted on them because she had caused him to be released, there were plenty of times when Willow, Xander, or Giles had been hurt because of their involvement with her.

Now this was no longer the case. She didn't need to keep her friends away from the danger; they'd had more important things to do than worry about the evil around the corner. And, if truth be told, when they were around, it was much harder for her. They kept pushing her. This time it was toward Riley, a TA at the university, who all of them had deemed to be the right man for her.

Buffy pretended that she was considering it, all the while either avoiding Riley as much as she could or rejecting his invitations for coffee, dinner, or a picnic whenever she couldn't make herself scarce.

So far, it seemed as though she was doing well. Her friends thought that she was finally moving on. Her Watcher was pleased that she was finally taking her calling seriously and patrolling nightly without complaint. To anyone around her, Buffy appeared to be blossoming. No one saw the dimming of the light in her eyes, or the slumping of her shoulders if she thought no one was watching her. There was no fire in her movements, and the quips that used to precede her slaying were nothing but a distance memory.

The Slayer was fading, and she seemed to have accepted her fate. She was replaceable, and for the first time in the four years since she had been called, her imminent death seemed as a possibly welcome event.

Buffy sat down and leaned against the cold wall of the mansion. Her hand came up to her neck, her fingers brushing up against one of the most tangible pieces of evidence Angel had left on her body. She'd lost the ring he'd given her when she placed it on the floor of the room where she was sitting, and Angel was brought back from hell. The leather jacket was too distinct for her to be able to wear it anymore, for every time that she did, nasty comments weren't too far behind. The cross that she never took off was no longer in her possession. Therefore, the teeth impression at the base of her throat was the only thing she had left that she could always carry with her without her friends noticing or pestering her about. As her fingers caressed the mark on her skin, she felt a familiar small tingle forming inside her.

It was getting weaker and weaker, and it was never quite the same as she'd experienced when Angel was nearby, but it was all she had left to hang on to. He'd given her the mark when she offered her life to save his and, initially, she had expected the scar to fade as others had.

It never did.

It was only later that Buffy discovered why, and she almost wished she hadn't after reading the words in one of Giles's books. The mark never faded because Angel didn't simply bite her to drink from her; he bit her to mark her as his eternal mate. The mark would never fade.

Dropping her fingers from her neck, Buffy looked through the windows at the lightening sky as dawn approached. Her eyes caught sight of a tall tower in the distance. It reminded her of the night, not too long ago, when she'd found out that Riley was more than just a TA her friends were actively pushing her toward dating. She wondered if it was that night that started the chain of events that had brought her to the mansion at this early—or very late—hour of the night.

o.O.o

It began with a dream, and Buffy instantly recognized the cryptic images as prophetic. In this dream, she was sitting in a classroom when a young girl entered, holding a distinctively ornate box. The girl was singing a chilling rhyme.

"Can't even shout. Can't even cry.

The Gentlemen are coming by.

Looking in windows, knocking on doors.

They need to take seven, and they might take yours.

Can't call to mom. Can't say a word.

You're gonna die screaming, but you won't be heard."

Waking up in a sweat, Buffy dashed to the Magic Shop to investigate. She had precious few hours to break in, read as much as she could, and make her way out before the store opened. It wasn't until she arrived on campus that she realized that parts of the rhyme had already come to fruition.

A student was found with his heart carved out, and the entire population of Sunnydale seemed to have lost their voices. It had left her shaken up a little. Not the theft of her voice in itself bothered her. It was the fact that it had taken her several hours before she had even noticed it.

She knew that her friends would gather at Giles's or in the Magic Shop, but she also knew that she would make better progress without delaying to speak to them—especially as speaking had been impossible at that point in time. Going to the library to continue her research into finding how to vanquish these demons, Buffy successfully avoided everyone she knew for the rest of the day. Once the sun had set, she went to search for The Gentlemen, having found that a human voice was all it took to kill them. She only hoped she would figure out a way to make a sound before another kill was made.

It was close to midnight when she caught sight of several demons wearing tuxedoes following something that resembled zombies in straightjackets. Catching them off-guard, she killed one with ease and chased the others onto a belfry, where she found several bald demons in tuxedoes holding the box from her dream. During that fight, she'd crashed through a window and ended up in the same room with Riley, who was wearing military fatigues and holding a rifle.

She'd fought the demons, destroyed the box they guarded, and screamed with all her might as soon as she realized that the box had contained the missing voices. The explosion of the demons' heads was distraction enough for her to slip away before Riley could corner her, asking questions she could not and would not answer. There was no desire in her to drag another innocent human into the living nightmare that was her calling.

He wasn't quite that innocent, as it turned out to be.

Soon after killing The Gentlemen, Buffy was able to connect Riley with a military organization known as The Initiative. She'd known the organization existed since discovering they'd put a chip inside Spike's brain to stop him from being able to attack humans, but Riley was her first tangible lead. Spike had been able, albeit reluctantly, to lead her to the exit he used to escape, but the tunnel was blocked not three feet inside, rendering the path useless.

Having connected Riley to The Initiative, Buffy followed him until she'd found another entrance to the compound where the organization hid. Ironically, the center of evil—and Buffy had no illusions that there was evil at the source of the Initiative—was directly beneath her place of study. Just like the Hellmouth was beneath Sunnydale High.

She hadn't told her friends about these recent discoveries at first, though she knew she would have to soon enough. Willow wouldn't stop praising Riley every chance the two girls met, which was not as often as one would think, despite them sharing a dorm room, and Buffy had had enough of "Riley is perfect" lectures.

Earlier that week, Buffy had finally infiltrated the Initiative's compound and saw the dozens of cages filled with demons that they held. She had no idea why they were keeping so many, but she had had a bad feeling about it. Another worry was something called "Project 3-14" that she'd heard mentioned while she was down there. It was a close call, but Buffy was able to see Professor Welsh—her psychology professor and Riley's mentor—entering a room with the number 314 and "restricted area" printed in red on the door.

On her way back outside, she had been able to grab some disks that she hoped contained more information about the Initiative. Upon returning to her dorm room, Buffy thought about asking Willow's help with the files, but she found the room empty. She made another attempt, as she knew that Willow was better at computer hacking than she was, but Willow wasn't answering her cell phone.

Resigned, Buffy had loaded the disks on the computer in the library but found little useful information regarding Project 3-14 on them. She did, however, find references to drugs being administered to the soldiers to make them stronger and increase their stamina. She read that the reason was twofold, but only found one reason that was documented—to give the human males a fighting chance against the much stronger demons they were to face.

The following day, one of Buffy's professors asked to meet her during his consultation hours. It seemed that at least someone had in fact noticed that she'd put a greater effort into her studies, Buffy thought with amusement as she exited the professors office. She'd been able to complete all of the required tasks for the current semester and was offered more for extra credit. This would allow her to graduate earlier—given she lived long enough to graduate in the first place.

Walking outside, she'd noticed a figure in military fatigues disappearing into the shrubbery and decided to follow. She had only taken a few steps toward the edge of campus when pain exploded inside her and everything went dark.

Buffy had no idea how long she'd been unconscious for, but she could still sense that it was dark outside and hoped that it hadn't been more than a few minutes. Her muscles were still throbbing, and she noticed that her hands were slightly shaky as she reached behind her head. She wasn't bleeding, which was good, but the pain was going to take a while before it passed.

Looking at her surroundings, she found that she was in some kind of a cell that had metallic-looking walls. At one corner of the room was a door with a keypad next to it. Her senses were going haywire, and while some of it could be blamed on the blow to the head, Buffy knew it was more than that. There was evil around her. Somewhere close, if she had to guess.

She wasn't all that surprised when she found that her trusted stake wasn't tucked into her waistband, nor was she shocked that she'd been stripped of the spare that she carried in one boot. Fleetingly, she was happy that she hadn't been carrying her dagger. It would have been a shame to leave it behind when she got out of the cell.

In the next moment, the door slid open and a demon was shoved inside.

Good thing I know how to fight unarmed, she thought as she braced herself. This was not going to be easy.

The demon's skin was orange in color, and it had two large horns on either side of its head. Buffy thought that it looked somewhat frail, but when the demon was able to land a hit, she changed her mind about that assessment.

The bastard was strong.

Now it wasn't just her head that was aching, but her arm as well.

Buffy kept her eyes focused on the demon as she circled with him. He lunged at her again. This time, she ducked the blow and was able to land a powerful kick to his midriff. The demon was pushed back against the wall, but it made a quick recovery with a punch to her face.

Her eyesight shaky, Buffy closed her eyes and fought with her senses. She listened for the slight shift of air when the demon lunged and punched to know when to avoid and when the demon was open for a hit.

She kicked him in the head, sending him across the room, and followed up with a series of three more kicks to the same place.

_Think, damn it. Think!_  Buffy told herself as she continued to fight the demon, knowing that she was losing steam quickly.

_Orange skin_. Kick in the back. Dodge.  _Horns, protruding shoulders._

Roll on the floor and punch upward.  _Humanoid, fighting demon._  Run up the wall, jump over, and kick.  _Fighter, perhaps soldier?_

Another hit across her stomach sent her sprawling on the floor.

She knew that she'd read up about this demon; it was just at the edge of her mind. Rolling aside to avoid a stomp, Buffy jumped back to her feet and punched the demon in the face.

A spray of something slimy hit the wall behind her, not quite missing the elbow of the shirt she was wearing. Within seconds, the drops that hit her were hardening.

_Yuck!_

In the next moment, Buffy finally remembered. Fyarl demon! Not too bright, definitely strong, but vulnerable to…

She used the hardened material on her elbow as a shield and shoved it into the demon's stomach.

_Silver!_

Without a second's hesitation, Buffy tore the silver cross Angel had given her and held it between her fingers as she threw a punch aimed at the demon's eyes.

The effect was instantaneous. The demon snarled in pain, and its hands came up to claw at its face.

With the upper hand now, Buffy continued to punch the demon, slicing into his flesh with the edge of the cross.

"Never thought it would work on anything but a vampire," she muttered as the demon took its last breath and stilled.

Looking around her, Buffy saw that the room suffered no visible damage despite the intense fight and the many times each of them was thrown against a wall. She felt that she was still being watched and decided that there was either a one-way-mirror or a camera somewhere in the room.

Buffy suspected that she had a very good idea as to who might be doing the watching.

There was no furniture in the room, so she sat down on the floor next to one of the walls and took several deep breaths. The demon's body was beginning to smell.

Eyes on the door, Buffy waited for it to be opened again.

The hiss of air was sounded, but nothing moved, and she wondered what was happening around her. Moments later, Buffy found herself once again surrounded by darkness.

Her next waking moment had been on a stretcher, looking up at a very bright light. There were machines beeping all around her, but Buffy didn't think she was in a hospital.

The Initiative. It had to be them.

She tried to move but found herself restricted by leather bindings. Squinting against the blinding light, she tried to look around. She was in some kind of a lab. Her senses were all jumbled, and she had no idea how long she'd been out this time around.

Taking several deep breaths to calm her nerves and center herself, Buffy did an inventory check. Her head was no longer aching as it had before. She was slightly nauseated. Her ribs were still sore. The blows she'd taken from the Fyarl demon hadn't had much of a chance to heal yet, but it had definitely been a while for her head to recover. There was some soreness in her lower abdomen, and Buffy tried not to think about what that might mean.

The feeling of being watched was back again, and this time Buffy saw a camera pointed right at her.

The door opened, and a woman wearing a lab coat walked inside. Buffy didn't recognize her, but the woman apparently knew her.

"Good morning, Buffy," the woman said. "Hope you're not suffering too much from the side effects of the gas we used to knock you out."

"I'm peachy." Buffy smirked, refusing to show even an ounce of weakness. "I guess the stories were wrong."

The woman looked at her, her features smooth as she asked. "Stories?"

"Well, in the book, Dr. Frankenstein is a male." Buffy shrugged, testing the restraints again covertly. "But seeing as I've killed your monster, and you have me locked in some kind of freakish lab, I guess that makes you the Doc."

The woman scowled at her. "I am Dr. Cullen."

"Whatever you say, Frank." She offered the doc a brilliant smile. "Good to see the sex-change operation worked for you, but I'm not interested in one."

Dr. Cullen was barely able to open her mouth to reprimand the young woman before said young woman tore away from her restraints and punched her in the jaw. She slid to the floor with nothing more than a slight groan.

Buffy wasted no time in tearing away the other restraint and jumping down from the gurney. She didn't know how long she had before whoever was watching her sent more guards into the room—that, or activated the stupid knock-out gas again—so she grabbed the doctor's keycard, the lab notes that dropped next to her, and ran to the door.

Luck was on her side. The corridor was still empty, and Buffy slipped outside. Looking around, she pinpointed the cameras scattered in the hallway and tried to think what would be her best route to escape. She knew that whoever had her kidnapped would not give up so easily.

Running as quietly as she could, she passed door after door, hoping against hope that she was running in the right direction to the exit. Soon, she heard footsteps and voices. She halted, plastered herself against the wall and slowly edged toward the corner. Listening carefully, she heard heavy footsteps not far away and someone calling out "Find her! Quickly!"

_Damn it!_

Using the keycard she had stolen from the doctor, she opened one of the doors. It was quiet in the room, so she hoped it would be empty as well.

"Maybe my luck hasn't run out just yet," she murmured quietly as she found the room was indeed empty, from both people and cameras.

There were several computer stations that appeared to have been abandoned with haste. A map was pinned to the wall behind one of the computer screens, clearly marking the emergency exists from the compound, and there was one right next to the room she was in.

Luck was definitely on Buffy's side for a change. Grabbing the map, she glanced at the screen that came to life. The sight of her name made her pause.

The sound of footsteps was growing closer.

Knowing she didn't have much time, she shut down the computer and used brute force to open the outer casing. Trying very hard not to think about Jenny Calendar who taught her what a hard drive looked like, she pulled out the one inside that particular computer and then methodically twisted the rest of the parts.

If the gods were on her side, it would take these bastards a while to notice that the computer was missing its hard drive.

She took another glance at the map, then decided to take it with her, and made it to the other door in the room.

The emergency exit led to a flight of stairs, and she ran up them. It took several long minutes before she made it to the exit, but when she was finally outside, the air never tasted better.

It was early morning, and the emergency exit brought her right outside the dorms. She didn't head toward her room, though. For the second time during this school year—the first being when she shared her room with Kathy—she didn't feel safe enough to go there. She had no doubt that whoever was after her knew where she stayed.

Instead, she made her way toward her mother's house. Upon arriving, Buffy used the shadows behind the house to check if there was anyone inside. It was still early enough for her mother—if she wasn't away on some business trip—to be at home. When several glances through the windows revealed the house to be empty, Buffy climb up and entered through her bedroom window. She didn't need the neighbors snooping after her and reporting back to her mother that Buffy was cutting classes. Plus, if anyone—say the Initiative, as she wouldn't put it past them to do exactly that—was watching her house, there was less of a chance of them seeing her stop by that way.

After a long scrubbing and several washes of her hair, Buffy exited the shower. As she toweled herself dry, she examined her body carefully. The cuts and bruises she suffered from her fight with the Fyarl demon were already healing. Her ribs didn't feel as though they were broken, though there was still some tenderness in them. Her head was tender as well, but she felt much better having washed her hair.

There was one thing, however, that she couldn't ignore. There was pain where there shouldn't have been. It was reminiscent of the soreness she'd experienced after her night with Angel. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to hold in the tears.

Think logically, she ordered herself. You need to find out what they documented about you. And if…if they did…well, there will be something that you'll have to do as well.

Turning to the lab notes that she'd stolen form the doctor, Buffy quickly scanned through the notes. There precious little information there. The results of a blood test that they'd done on her—which she didn't possess the necessary knowledge to understand those—and some notes about their estimation of her strength and speculations about any additional powers she might have.

It gave her close to nothing.

_Well, my luck had to run out at some point._

She needed computer access, and she needed it out of sight. That meant that the public library and the computers in it were out of question. That left the computer at her mother's home office. It was old and slow, but it would work for her purpose.

She stuffed the clothes she'd worn before into a garbage bag. They were ruined, and she honestly wasn't sure that she would have been able to wear them again had they not been so. She went to her closet and got dressed. For once, she was happy that the closet in the dorm room was too small for her to bring all of her clothes with her when she'd moved in.

Finished with that, Buffy proceeded to the next item on her to-do list—find out today's date. She needed to know how long she'd been gone. A part of her both worried and hoped that she'd been gone long enough for her friends to start looking for her.

She'd been taken on a Monday night, and it was Thursday now. That meant three nights that she'd been in the hands of her kidnappers. Might be long enough for Willow or Giles to notice.

Glancing at the phone, she decided that she would call them later. First, she needed to answer a few questions.

It took her much longer to connect the hard drive she'd stolen than it would have taken Willow, but soon the data appeared on the screen. The amount of information there was alarming. They knew way too much about her, including things like her father's home and office addresses that Buffy herself didn't know. They didn't seem to know about Angel, though, and she thanked the gods for small favors.

The hardest folder for her to open was the one labelled "Breeding". There were some lab reports that meant nothing to her, and Buffy knew there was more online research in her future, but the content of the last file made her blood run cold.

_Sunday, 3:15 a.m.: HCG administered to subject alpha._

_Tuesday, 4:47 a.m.: Nine samples successfully extracted._

_Tuesday 5:01 a.m.: Samples I-III fertilized using subject 219's sperm. Sample IV-VI fertilized using subject 117's sperm. Samples VII-IX fertilized using subject 481's sperm. Samples moved to incubator. Check growth in 12 hours._

_Tuesday 5:07 p.m.: All samples show vital signs._

_Wednesday 5:08 a.m.: Samples II, IV, and V show no vital signs. Continue monitoring samples I, III, VI, VII, VIII, and IX._

_Wednesday 5:14 p.m.: Samples I, III, and IX show no vital signs. Subject alpha administered FSH and remains sedated._

_Thursday 4:59 a.m.: Samples VI-VIII show normal progression. Monitor and grade in 24 hours._

Buffy didn't know what HCG and FSH stood for or who the numbered subjects were, but it wasn't too hard to figure out what had been attempted. She felt relieved that the rape she'd tried so very hard not to imagine hadn't occurred, but she also felt sick. There were fertilized embryos in their labs, and they'd used her as a breeding mare.

She figured that they'd continued to hold her in case their sick experiment failed, and they needed to extract more of her eggs. She couldn't rely on hoping the last three samples would show no vital signs. And if there were such signs, they didn't have to grab her again in order to continue with their experiment.

She had to destroy the samples, and the sooner the better. Good thing she'd decided to grab the map of the compound before leaving that room. Now she knew exactly where the main lab was located inside the facility.

Disconnecting the hard drive, Buffy cleaned all evidence of her stay at the house, and exited the same way she'd entered.

Stealthily, she approached the trap door through which she'd made her escape only hours before. They wouldn't expect her to return within hours, she thought.

The exit didn't seem to be guarded, so she approached and listened to see if there was anyone on the other side. Silence greeted her.

Buffy held her breath as she opened the door, only releasing the air trapped inside her lungs when it was closed behind her. The facility was much more active now than it had been when she'd made her escape, so she had to walk very quietly down the stairs and stop often whenever a door to one of the levels was opened.

There were convenient janitorial closets spread through the compound, one for every level. She hid inside one whenever she heard someone approaching. She thought she might still be able to use the stolen keycard to enter the lab, but there was a chance that it had already been cancelled. Deciding not to take a change, Buffy watched until a man in a lab coat exit to the stairway for a smoke.

_Smoking kills_ , she though as she knocked the man out.  _You're lucky I don't kill humans._  Though she had to admit that these people made her want to change that.

She stripped the man of his lab coat, keycard, and wallet. She would find a way to know who was behind this, and the details of one of the employees was a good place to start.

It took her another two hours, in her estimation, before she was able to get inside the storage lab. It hadn't been easy to remain unseen. Even with the lab coat and hat concealing her identity, she knew it would be better to go under the radar as much as possible.

Finally, she was able to get inside.

There were a couple of techs inside.

_Time to get rid of them._  "Why aren't you at the auditorium?" she demanded in an authoritative tone.

The two young males turned to look at her, their eyes widening in surprise. "Huh?"

"Dr. Cullen clearly ordered all technical personnel to be at the auditorium at thirteen hundred hours for a debriefing. You're already three minutes late. What are you waiting for? Move! Or do you want me to report you to the Colonel?" Buffy gave them each a severe stare, having no idea if there even  _was_  a colonel. She took a chance that even if she was wrong, the techs were too insecure to question the order.

The two scrambled to obey, nearly knocking a tray on their way out.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Buffy moved to examine the large metal containers. She didn't know where they would store the  _samples_ , so she decided to destroy everything she could get her hands on. She began with unplugging all of the electrical cables, proceeded to break every petri dish and test tube in the room, spilled the conveniently-labelled bottle of acid on the computer stations, and finished it all by setting fire to every piece of paper in the room. Her anger and supernatural nature allowed her to move almost faster than the human eye could see. As soon as the fire was going inside three trash cans, Buffy hit the fire alarm and exited the room.

In the hallway, the rest of the personnel were exiting the rooms in an orderly fashion, moving toward the stairs.  _Gotta love military training_ , she though as she joined the column of people in lab coats. They would have an internal fire brigade, so she wasn't concerned about burning down the entire facility or killing anyone.

Once outside, she broke away from the others, threw the lab coat into a nearby trash bin, and made a run for the trees. She didn't stop running until she had reached the Magic Shop.

It was time to bring the others into this. Whatever was going on with the Initiative, it required hacking skills that she just didn't possess.

She used the backdoor to the shop and was grateful to find everyone—Willow, Giles, Xander, and Anya—inside. She didn't question their presence there at first, only feeling grateful that no more time would be wasted before everyone was gathered and could spring into action.

If the Initiative was willing to experiment with kidnapping a Slayer and attempting to breed her with, she assumed, their soldiers, then it didn't bode well for what Project 3-14 could stand for.

"Hi guys, I got some news regarding the Initiative," she began, launching into an explanation of how she'd come across Riley in fatigues and had done some research into the matter. She was debating with herself how to tell them about her kidnapping, still reeling with anger and shame that she'd been so easily captured.

It was then that Buffy took the first blow of the evening.

They didn't believe her.

"Riley's not evil, Buffy," Willow had said. "Could it be that you're willing to suspect him because you still haven't let Angel go?"

Buffy took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She wouldn't speak of Angel. Even without the pain that it caused her, she knew that nothing good could come out of any conversation with her friends that included him in it. "I didn't say that Riley was evil, Will, but he is part of the Initiative and they're—"

"You're implying he's evil because of his connections to the Initiative," Xander interfered. "And you usually like the tall, dark, and evil type."

She glared at him. "The Initiative isn't on the good side! They're drugging their—"

"Buffy," Giles interrupted her, holding his hand up to stop her speech. "The fact that the Initiative is in all likelihood a government organization—and we still don't know that for certain, might I remind you—doesn't automatically mean that they drugging their employees. The Initiative, by all accounts, seem to be trying to do the same thing you are, Buffy. They're trying to fight monsters."

Buffy blinked a few times, not sure what Giles was implying. "I found documents that prove—"

"Documents?" Willow asked. "Where?"

"At their HQ. Look, there is something going on there that's beyond simply fighting evil," Buffy tried to insist. "We need to—"

Xander didn't let her finish. "They're fighting monsters, Buffy. You can hardly cast stones, seeing as this is something that you've been lacking in lately."

Stunned, she turned to look at him. "Lacking?"

Trying to keep the conversation on topic, Giles asked, "When were you at their headquarters? How did you find it?"

"I followed one of their army guys last night," Buffy lied, knowing that if she told them that she'd kept this information to herself for over a week, they'd be even angrier than they already were. She would have told them after mulling it for a few days, but her kidnapping stalled her more than she'd intended. "They have a restricted access area with the numbers 314 printed on the door, and Professor Welsh—"

"Our psychology professor?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded. "She walked into that room, and I'm sure that there is something there. I could feel…" She wanted to say evil, but she trailed off, seeing disbelief written all over their faces.

"Buffy, how long has it been since you've had a good night's sleep?" Giles asked in concern.

Four years, give or take a few weeks, she thought, before I discovered monsters were real. "Giles, we need to look into this Initiative business."

"And we will," Willow promised, placating. "Giles and I will start looking into this right away. However, before that, there's something else we wanted to talk to you about."

Tension stilled her. She strongly suspected that she wasn't going to like what she would hear next. "What is it?"

Willow turned to look at Giles then at Xander before speaking again. "Buffy, you've been disappearing a lot lately, during the night."

"That's hardly surprising, Will." Buffy folded her arms around herself, bracing for the blow she could sense was coming. "I hunt demons, and they don't usually like to take strolls in the sunlight."

Xander snorted. "Hunt, yeah, right."

Giles shot him a look to prevent him from saying anything more. "Buffy, none of us here have seen you for almost a week, and it has not been a rare occurrence these past few months."

Hoping that they were just feeling left out and feeling guilty for doing just that, Buffy looked down. "Look, I know I've been kind of avoiding you guys lately…"

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Anya, who had been surprisingly quiet up until now, called out. "They think you're shacking up with your demon lover again."

Buffy's head shot up. "What?"

Giles took off his glasses and polished the lenses with the tail of his shirt. "Are you seeing Angel again, Buffy?"

"More importantly," Xander continued, not giving her a chance to answer, "are you working your way into his bed again? Because I'd like to know how long I have before you give him the happy, and all of us will have to skip town."

"I'm not—" But her voice broke as her chest filled with pain.

"Xander," Willow scolded him. "This isn't about attacking Buffy. Remember, we talked about this. 'I' statements only. 'I feel angry.' 'I feel worried.'"

"Fine, here's one." Xander stood up and glared at Buffy. "I feel worried...about me, Willow, Giles, and Anya! Last time around, Angel cared more about killing your friends, Buffy, than he did about killing you. And I don't think we need another Jenny, do you?"

It was a low blow, but Buffy found that she had expected him to say something just like that. Her voice was ice cold when she said, "I haven't seen Angel since graduation."

"Oh, really?" Giles was looking straight at her now, anger and disappointment clear in his expression. "So I guess you've been out patrolling for three nights and three days in a row?"

"You didn't come back to the dorms," Willow added quietly. "You missed all of your classes this week, and no one knew where you were."

"And Cordelia called," Xander said, again not letting Buffy respond. "She said that Angel was missing from L.A. at the exact same time."

So he was in L.A., Buffy thought. For the past six months, she had had no contact with him, so she knew nothing about Angel's whereabouts. One thing she was certain about was that he was still walking the earth, and that was because she felt sure she would have felt it inside her soul had he died. She has been under the illusion that none of her friends knew where Angel was, either. Apparently, she was wrong.

"She said that Angel's been acting all mysterious lately, disappearing for hours and days in a row. She seems to think you two are back together," Willow said, relaying the conversation Xander told them about. "She wanted to know what we're going to do about it."

Since when did Queen C know Angel's whereabouts? Buffy wondered before another worry came over her. Where  _was_  Angel disappearing to? Even as her heart began to bleed inside her all over again, she knew that she would have to find out. Wherever it was that he'd been disappearing into, she knew that he hadn't been in Sunnydale. She would have felt him if he were.

"Preferably  _before_  we have another meeting with Angelus," Xander muttered

"For the last time, I did  _not_  hear or see Angel since graduation. Can we please focus on the Initiative?" Buffy demanded. "They're evil, and they need to be stopped!"

"I've been looking into them since we found Spike, but I didn't find anything that even remotely points toward them being the bad guys," Giles said calmly.

"If anything, Buffy," Anya said completely calm, "you should be thanking them for picking up your slack while you were sneaking around behind our backs to meet your ex-lover."

"My slack?" Buffy whispered.

"I know that Anya can be harsh," Giles said. "I think we all feel that you've been someone negligent of your duties lately."

Buffy found that there had still been a piece of her heart that wasn't torn apart until that very moment. She didn't care about Anya, would have expected Xander to be this prejudice, and could perhaps forgive Willow for being so harsh, but Giles? He'd  _known_  her, hadn't he?

"Riley saw the two of you kissing," Anya dropped the final bomb, enjoying the mess she could see forming around her. She still blamed the Slayer for losing her vengeance demon powers, so now she took the opportunity to exact some revenge.

"What?" Xander cried out in panic. "When did you talk to him?"

"I didn't." Anya shrugged. "Heard him talking to some friend of his about how he saw Buffy lip-locked with some mysterious guy. Tall, dark, slightly pale. The description fit Angel."

"Buffy…" Willow wanted to curse out loud. She didn't want believe Xander when he blamed Buffy for Angel's disappearance, even if Buffy had hidden seeing Angel before.

Buffy hated how small they made her feel. "I didn't—"

"No, of course you didn't," Xander scoffed. He glared at her. "You think we haven't seen this before? The part where you just cut us all out and run to your undead lover? This isn't the first time you just stepped away from everyone because you thought you knew better than everyone around you. Do you remember that?"

"I  _killed_  Angel," Buffy said with a quiet, ice cold tone. "Do you even remember that? I would have given up everything to be with him. I loved him more than I will _ever_  love  _anyone_  in this life, and I put a sword through his heart because I had to!"

Willow tried to come to her and calm her down. She could see that the conversation was rapidly deteriorating, and she wanted to stop it before something irreversible was said or done. Buffy's glare stopped her cold.

"You two cheered me on, don't you remember?" Buffy sneered, finding refuge from her pain in anger. "I remember you giving me Willow's message—"Kick his ass", don't you?"

"I never said that," Willow murmured, but no one was paying her any attention.

Giles placed a hand on Xander's shoulder, trying to quiet the boy. "Buffy—"

"This is different!" Xander yelled, wanting to turn the attention away from him before anyone realized what was said.

"It's always different when it comes to you, Xander!" Buffy yelled back. She glanced to see Anya eating candy like this was some kind of a play to entertain her. _Figures_. "You get down on me for cutting myself off, but in the end, the Slayer is always cut off."

"Buffy, that's not true," Giles said.

Willow rushed to add, "We're here for you, Buffy, always. We care."

"Yeah, right. With friends like you, I don't need enemies." Buffy turned on her heel and headed to the door.

_Ding dong, the witch is dead,_  Anya thought with satisfaction as the door slammed behind the Slayer.

o.O.o

As the tears continued to roll down her cheeks, Buffy tried to think around the pain. Sitting on the cold floor and leaning against the stone wall, she wondered if there was anything left for her to fight for. She could never trust her friends again after this, and she didn't think that her mother could ever really come to terms with her daughter being so far away from what she had wanted her to be.

She almost didn't notice when the earth began to shake beneath her. It was a short but a violent jolt, though not uncommon in California. In Sunnydale, however, earthquakes were also the first sign of an impending apocalypse.

The end of the world, Buffy thought bitterly. Her world had already ended. It had been a gradual process, beginning perhaps on the morning after her seventeenth birthday when Angelus had first broken her heart and confidence. It continued with every time Angel forced himself to leave her until finally walking away for good after graduation. The crumbling remains left after that were now dust after the betrayal of her closest friend and father-figure.

She would try to save the world once again, Buffy vowed silently. It was her duty, after all. Would she survive this apocalypse as she'd survived the others? She couldn't tell. But, as exhausted sleep finally began pulling her under, Buffy found that she didn't care if she hadn't.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02**

_Los Angeles_

Angel was sinking. He could pinpoint the exact moment when he began to come unhinged. It was the day he'd heard from Spike—of all people, Spike!—that Buffy was moving on.

_You meant for her to move on_ , Angelus told him. _You almost fucking threw her into the arms of other men._

Angel ignored the enraged demon inside his head. He'd been doing better at ignoring Angelus.

_You keep telling that to yourself, boyo._

Angel never told anyone that he could hear Angelus inside his mind. It had taken a while for him to understand that what he was hearing was his demon counterpart after he'd been back from hell. In the beginning, the voice was only at the edge of his consciousness. After graduation—

_You mean after we marked Buffy_ , Angelus interjected, correcting him.

After _graduation_ , Angel began hearing Angelus quite clearly. _And you haven't shut up since,_ Angel growled.

The laughter rolling inside his head was slightly bitter. _Didn't do me any good, did it? You're still sitting here, drinking yourself into a stupor while out mate—our fucking MATE—is sleeping with some blood-bag._

_She's not—_

_Oh, shove it. She is our mate, and you and I both know it._

Angel took another gulp of the whiskey he held in his hand. She was his lover and mate. For all intents and purposes, he'd married her in the vampire way the day he'd bitten her. He'd never meant to mark her, never meant to force such a bond on her. However, when he'd been poisoned and delusional and found himself with his teeth inside her neck, Angelus and he had been in complete agreement for the first—and probably the last—time, and he'd taken her as his eternal mate.

_And now said eternal mate is calling to us, and you ignore her!_ Angelus roared in anger. _If I'd been in control—_

_You'd what? Go back and kill some more fish?_ Angel sneered. _That's all you've been able to do. The only reason you killed Jenny was because she was working on re-cursing me. You couldn't face loving Buffy, and you couldn't break her, so you tried to end the world._

Angelus was quiet, but Angel could feel his demon thinking, even if he couldn't hear the exact thoughts.

_I didn't love her,_ Angelus finally said. He refused to bring up more painful memories that both he and the soul wanted buried. He'd wouldn't have usually done so—would have brought things up again and again, in fact—but these were too painful even for him, and he hated admitting to it.

Angel paused after brining the bottle of whiskey to his lips. _Didn't? Past tense?_

More silence. There was definitely something up with Angelus, but Angel found that he just didn't have the energy to care anymore. Spike's words about Buffy taking a lover to replace him had torn him apart nearly as much as the torture his grandchild had inflicted at the time.

Angel was trying to let her go. Lord knows that he had tried everything he could to stay in LA and let her live her life. He shouldn't care that she was moving on with another, that this man, this Parker was sharing her smiles, her life, and her bed.

_But you do care, fucker._

_So do you, Angelus._

_Of course, I care, and I'll make sure to punish her as soon as I get my hands on her. AFTER I've killed the walking blood-bag for touching her._

_You'll never get your hands on her_ , Angel vowed. _I'd stake myself first. She should have a change to have a normal life, without me interfering in them._

He left to give her _just_ that. He'd left to give her a chance at a normal life, or as normal a life as a Slayer's could be. He knew that he wasn't, couldn't, be a part of that. Hadn't that day proven it to him?

He wasn't normal, and Buffy wanted normal. She just didn't want to admit it. To herself or him.

So he was forced to be the one making the hard choices. He was wrong for Buffy.

Hadn't it been her own mother who told him that her daughter would be better off without Angel in her life?

He left because it was the right thing to do…for her.

_No, it wasn't,_ Angelus said.

Angel didn't know if he, himself, could still answer "yes" to that question, and as the days went by, he was growing weaker and weaker in his resolve. With each passing week, he found himself with less reasons keeping him in L.A., and more reasons to go back to Sunnydale. With Angelus hounding him, it was getting harder to feel justified in his choice.

Angel had tried to make a life for himself in L.A., even though it was more as a result of coincidence than intent. He had met Doyle and Cordelia, and together they'd founded a business that had one goal—to help the helpless. It was meant to be a step toward redemption for him.

However, as quickly as his life had been created here in L.A., they'd gone downhill just as fast. Doyle was now dead, and Angel still couldn't help but wonder if he could have done something to prevent it.

_Yeah, you could have died with him_ , Angelus said. _At least that way, I wouldn't be stuck with you._

_You've never been one for suicide,_ Angel retorted.

Angelus shrugged. _Pretty sure I'd rather be in hell than here with you. Actually, I'd rather be fucking and turning a certain Vampire Slayer, if we're talking about my preferences. But you're somewhat reluctant to get yourself up and take back what is ours._

Angel decided that to continue this argument would leave him with nothing more than an even bigger headache than he was already sporting, so he tried to ignore Angelus.

Cordelia wasn't the easiest person to be around when he'd first met her in Sunnydale, but she'd proven that she was a loyal friend these past few months. Angel found that he liked the cocky, free-spirited, ex-Queen C. Despite liking her, however, he chose to escape her company—and Wesley's, for that matter—more and more often these days.

_Wouldn't have minded fucking and feeding on her back then, but these days I'm a one-Slayer demon._

_You would kill anyone close to me_ , Angel accused. _Nothing's changed for you._

_Oh, I'd kill Cordy in a heartbeat—her last_ , Angelus said, snickering at his own joke. _Wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole now, though, and you know it. Not everything remained the same._

Angel sighed. He knew. Once he and Angelus had marked Buffy, neither would look at another woman ever again, be her human or vampire.

_That's right, Soul-Boy. Now why don't you get this fabulous ass of mine back to where our mate is so we can make sure that she never looks at any other male, either—hot blooded or otherwise?_

_It is better this way,_ Angel insisted. _There is nothing I can offer her, and I wouldn't risk you coming out again._

Shutting Angelus out, Angel escaped the apartment into the night. He had no desire for anyone to see him, so he avoided going up to the office and used the alley exit instead. It wasn't the first time he'd gone roaming, and Angel suspected that it would remain a habit of his. Sometimes, his legs carried him so far that he was too far away from his apartment come dawn, so he would find a place to hide until the sun set once again. This time he was simply hoping to find something to beat to death, and if the Gods were kind, he'd find enough things to take his rage out on by the time the sun made its next appearance.

He knew what was happening that made him roam. Angelus had been taking advantage of his absentminded patrolling to lead his body toward Sunnydale. So far, Angel had been able to resist.

He didn't know how long he would last, though. It had been happening more frequently lately, and if that wasn't bad enough, the dreams were now coming over him during his waking hours as well as in his slumber. And even though each dream was like a knife sliding though his heart, Angel cherished each and every one of them.

He wished he could blame Angelus for them, but the tone of the dreams just wasn't his style. Usually, when Angelus though of Buffy, it was in the context of blood, gore, and sex.

_She'd have made a great vampire._ Angelus was practically licking his lips at the idea. _Vicious, powerful…_

_She kicked your ass even without being a vampire herself,_ Angel reminded him as he made his way down yet another dark alley. _You wouldn't stand a chance against her as a vampire. Besides, I'd never let that happen._

_Yeah, yeah,_ Angelus waved him off. _Heard that before. Doesn't stop me from fantasizing. And seeing as you're so fucking stubborn, fantasies are all I have. For now._

Angelus brought forth the memory of biting Buffy, drinking the delicious blood of a Slayer. They'd been lying between her thighs at the time, pressed hard against the heated juncture of her center as they drank from her, marking her forever. _We made her come_ _._ Angelus purred at the memory, knowing that even though Angel would never admit it—the idiot—he'd enjoyed that moment as well. They climaxed immediately after her, following Buffy into the sweet oblivion, and if Angel hadn't come to his senses before Angelus…

_Keep dreaming,_ Angel snarled and punched through a door to his right. It opened to an empty warehouse, and he walked in, sensing nothing and no one inside it. Never, he promised himself. He would never risk her life like that again.

_The blood was so sweet, especially after we made her come,_ Angelus reminded him, unrepentant. He was going to break Soul-Boy. He had to. He could feel her soul crying out for her mate almost since the moment they'd marked her, and that call had increased into almost a shout in the months after their last departure.

Angelus could and did handle pain well. He knew more about pain than Angel would ever learn, no matter how long he lived. The pain of separation from his mate was new, though, and very much unwelcomed by the centuries-old demon. More than that, Angelus found there was nothing he could do against it, and that was even more infuriating than anything else.

"She needs you."

For a moment, Angel thought that it was Angelus speaking to him again.

_Not me, this time, fucker._

Angel turned his head then and saw the demon that had brought him to the Slayer in the first place. "Get lost," he growled.

"If you don't go to her, she will be lost," Whistler replied calmly, using the opening Angel had created with his fist to enter the building. He leaned against one of the pillars, folded his arms across his chest, and stared at Angel with a pointed look. "She needs you," he repeated. "Even Angelus understands that."

"Get. Lost," Angel repeated through clenched teeth, accentuating each word. He'd had enough of the Powers That Be's meddling in his affairs. He might not know what he was going to do, but he certainly didn't want their advice on the matter. They'd torn him apart too many times for him to like listening to their messengers. Having them agreeing with his demon was just the icing on the shit cake.

_Ooh, cursing Angel. I'm almost proud of you,_ Angelus mocked. _Now, if you only had the brains to give me the reins…_ He chuckled at his own rhyming.

_Never_ , Angel vowed.

"Don't need to get lost," Whistler replied, watching the struggle on the face of the chosen Champion in front of him. "You're lost enough for the both of us, and then some. When I brought you over to see her, I told you that you were meant to protect her. I said that you had to help her. Together you're strong, alone, she will die. Ringing any bells here?"

The vampire shot forward and pinned the little demon to the wall before the latter could blink. That sentence touched some of the most painful memories Angel carried with him. They were also fresher than others, causing him to be closer to the edge of his control. "Plenty, but I don't think you'd enjoy the reaction it brings out in me. I'm not your lapdog."

_No, you leave that honor to misery and stupidity_ , Angelus quipped.

"She's dying, Angel," Whistler said with some difficulty, but he made no effort to release himself.

_Told ya!_ Angelus said, just as angry himself. _Maybe this time you'll actually listen._

_You're wrong!_ Angel's face morphed into their true, demonic, form, his emotions running so high that he couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to—and he found that he didn't want to control himself if front of the Powers That Be's messenger. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You should know, Angel. You've had the dreams."

Angel let Whistler go and turned to face away from him. He never mentioned the dreams to anyone, but it didn't surprise him that Whistler, as the delivery boy for the PTB's cryptic communication, was aware of them. He hated knowing this. Some of his dreams were so painfully erotic—constructed from both fantasies and memories of _that_ day—that Angel couldn't stop his own body from responding even when he recalled them while awake.

_He's not talking about those, and you know it._ Angelus wanted to slap Angel. _He's talking about the dreams where she's fading away, you daft idiot._

Their words brought back the images into the forefront of Angel's mind.

Angel was on the seashore, walking barefoot across the soft sand. The sun was just setting, allowing him to walk outside without fearing its deadly rays. He felt her before he saw her. She stood mere feet away from him, wearing a flimsy pink dress that clung to her body as the wind whipped her hair about her face. Buffy looked so thin and frail, and even though he knew her to be stronger than any other human, he found himself fearing that she'd succumb to the hale gusts.

Buffy turned to look at him, and he saw that her eyes were almost completely black. "Angel," she murmured.

He stood, frozen. The water of the ocean lapping at his feet were suddenly like manacles around his ankles, trapping him in his place.

"Buffy!" he cried out, reaching for her.

"Angel." This time the name was sighed in acceptance.

She closed her eyes and turned away from him. She took two steps that brought her to the edge of a cliff he hadn't noticed before.

"No!" he screamed as she spread her hands and dove over the edge. "Buffy!"

"Goodbye, my Angel," the wind carried her words to him.

He usually woke up at that point, panting for breath he didn't need, with his screaming her name still reverberating in the darkness of his bedroom. After the first few times, no one bothered to rush into his apartment to see what he was screaming about.

Her face in those dreams had always reflected the emptiness that Angel had felt every moment since walking away from her. He couldn't decide if his sub-conscience was reflecting his own emotions in her face or simply tormenting him with the memory of her pain and heartbreak that day in the sewers when he'd mustered up the courage to break up with her. Sometimes, in the early hours of the evening, as Angel dropped back on his pillows after waking up in terror, he wondered if her parting words were just the goodbye he had refused to give her. Angelus never believed that and kept calling him an ass—and several other superlatives of the same nature—for thinking it was that simple.

"All I know is that she's getting over me," Angel said, his tone flat and emotionless. "She has a new man in her life."

_Bullshit, with a capital B._ Angelus growled inside his mind. _You don't believe for a second that she could love this blood-bag, who, by the way, should be tortured and dead by now._

"You're an even bigger fool than I gave you credit!" Whistler felt like banging his head against the wall. Sometimes the two Champions were too stubborn for their own good. And sometimes, he though privately, the PTB screwed things up so much that it was nearly impossible for the situation to be repaired by mere mortals—or immortals, as the case were with Angel. "She's not getting over you, Angel. She's just about given up."

"Given up?" Angel turned to look at him, still in what Buffy called his "game face". He could not calm down enough to go back to his human appearance, not with Angelus bringing up the swan dive Buffy did in his dreams to the forefront of his mind. "Given up on what?"

"On everything," Whistler said quietly.

"Her friends won't let her." The statement came out much less confident than Angel would have liked it to be.

"They already have." Whistler sighed, seeing Angel's disbelief of that statement. He suspected that Angel might just kill Giles, Xander, and Willow—and perhaps several others, too—if he were to find out just how Buffy's friends had abandoned her. Whistler wanted to curse aloud. It was long past due for this warring in his mind, and he really wanted to just drag Angel by his ears to Sunnydale, but he was just the messenger, and there was all that crap about free will… "If you don't believe me, go look for yourself. Sunnydale is just a two-hour drive from here."

"Fuck off, Whistler. I'm not going back to Sunnydale. I'm needed here." Angel's tone was firm, but he knew that he was wavering. He didn't need to feel Angelus' glee to know that his resolve was crumbling. "My redemption is here."

Whistler felt like shouting and throwing something really heavy at the stubborn demon before him. He really wished he could tell him everything, but he physically couldn't, was, in fact, forbidden from doing so. _Free will and destiny and prophecy be damned,_ he thought bitterly. "If Buffy gives up… If she gives up, she dies, Angel. And if she dies, so will you."

Before Angel could respond to that, Whistler was gone.

_Well, are you going to go back for the car or are we stealing one again?_ Angelus demanded. He didn't know if Whistler meant a literal death for them in case of Buffy's demise, but he was sure as hell not going to put that one to the test. Losing a mate was something he'd obviously never experienced before, but he'd seen what it did to the surviving partner, and Angelus was not in the mood for more pain of this sort.

_I'm not going anywhere_ _,_ Angel thought stubbornly. For the rest of that evening, he either blocked or flat out ignored Angelus. All of the rage and desperation that had built inside him—both from his own emotions and his demon's—Angel channeled into destroying a nest of vampires he'd come across.

Shortly before dawn, Angel made it back to his apartment, bone-deep tired and weary. He took a short shower to wash away the dust and slid into his bed, ignoring the different aches in his body. He closed his eyes and tried to force himself into sleep. Occupying his thoughts with repeating old texts he'd read, Angel hoped to drown Angelus'—and his own—thoughts long enough for sleep to take over, seeking reprieve from reality for a few hours.

He received none. The dream began on the seashore, just as it always did. Like a broken record that could play only one song over and over, Angel watched the dream-Buffy turn to him and murmur his name. He felt his ankles shackled to the ground and heard his own cry of terror as she threw herself over the cliff's edge.

Angel didn't awake at that point, though. Unlike so many nights before, the dream continued on this time. He felt himself running to the edge of the cliff, falling to his knees as he saw the broken body of his love on the rocks below. Her eyes were still open, and he saw her lips move. In the weird way that dreams had about them, Angel heard her words, even though he knew them to be no more than a whisper that should have been drowned by the sound of the crashing waves around her.

" _What has been written, can still be erased,_

_What has been remembered, removed without a trace._

_What has been willingly given, denied and rejected,_

_What has been living, can become infected._

_Will you come, my stranger?_

_Will you come, and help me fight?_

_Will you be there on time, my lovely danger?_

_Will you stand by my side?_

_Where I see nothing but darkness,_

_Will you show me the light?_

_Where I can see only hallows,_

_Will you show me the night?_ "

Then her eyes closed, and her body went limp. The rocks beneath her pink dress were suddenly covered with the darkness of her blood spilling over them.

"No!"

Angel didn't know if it was Cordelia's scream or his own terror that had awakened him, but as he shot up in his bed, he found himself staring into the seer's terrified face.

It took him another moment to comprehend that she was speaking to him. "Uh…?"

"Damn it! Wake up!" She tried shaking him, but he was much too strong for her to make him even budge an inch. "Vision. Buffy! God, those bastards!"

Angel, shaken to the core by his dream, watched as Cordelia began to pace his room and rant.

"You have to go there, Angel, and you have to make them pay, and I mean pay with a capital P. God, I wish I could find brain-bleach. I never wanted to see her—anyone—like that." She shuddered, and his whole being froze at the sight of genuine fear in her eyes. Then, her fear turned into fury. "What those bastards did to her is inhumane, and I don't care that they're humans! They don't deserve to be treated as humans, and, by God, I wish you'd just drain them. _After_ you give them a glimpse of Angelus' idea of torture, that is!"

Caring not for propriety at that moment, Angel tossed the sheets away, stood up from the bed, and went to find something for him to wear. He was shocked by the idea of Cordelia wishing for Angelus.

When she paused to take a breath, he asked, "What are you talking about, Cordy? Who did what to Buffy?"

Even through her disgust and fear, Cordelia took a moment to give him an appreciative glance before he pulled on a pair of briefs followed by black leather pants. She truly cared not for Angelus to make another appearance, but she could silently admit that she liked seeing Angel in leather, which was usually Angelus' favorite attire. Now, if she could only convince Angel to add some color to his shirts instead of the blacks he insisted on wearing… Oh, well, she sighed. There were more important things to worry about at the moment than Angel's choice of attire. "I don't know who. They looked like some kind of doctors. Maybe scientists? I don't know. They wore white coats with badges on them, but I couldn't really see what was written on them."

"Doctors? Was Buffy hurt?"

"She was, but they weren't helping her." Cordelia felt dirty just recalling what she saw, but she knew that he needed to know every detail so he could help. "They were hurting her, Angel. They were either putting something _in_ her or taking something _out_ , I couldn't be sure, but they were not gentle about it, and they didn't seem to care if she was in pain."

"What do you mean putting something in her or taking something out? Inside where?" He slid a black t-shirt over his head, grabbed a black button-up, and began fastening the buttons.

Cordelia laid her hand on her lower abdomen, unable to say the words. She saw understanding spread across his face followed by ice-cold anger. She shivered a little when his eyes turned golden, despite knowing it was in response to his emotions. "They were also injecting her with something. There were bruises all over her body, Angel, and I could almost _feel_ her pain."

Angel heard Angelus roar with rage and gut-wrenching worry, but he forced himself to remain in control as he approached Cordelia and gently rubbed her shoulders. There were tears in her eyes. "Sit down," he told her in an even tone. "Now, tell me everything you remember from the very beginning of the vision."

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "At first I saw Buffy fighting. I couldn't really see the demon. It felt like the demon was irrelevant. The room was barely lit, but I got the sense that someone was watching the fight. Once she killed the demon, I saw Buffy falling to the ground. It was like someone knocked her out, but I didn't see anyone touching her.

"Next, I saw her on a gurney, her wrists tied to its sides, and she was wearing a hospital gown. There were bruises all over her face and arms, and there was someone injecting a needle into her thigh. Then, I saw a woman in a white lab coat enter the room. The woman was holding a syringe in her hand and she was smiling." Cordelia shuddered, recalling that smile caused a chill to run down her back even now.

Angel sat down next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, silently encouraging her to continue.

"The woman lifted and spread Buffy's legs on the gurney, and then she shoved the syringe she was holding between them." She felt the bile rise inside her and fought to swallow it. "I don't know what she was doing, but she seemed very pleased with herself when she turned to someone behind her and nodded to him before walking out of the room."

Angel felt his stomach tighten with worry and disgust. Angelus was chomping at the bit for them to get moving so he could kill the bastards who dared hurt Buffy, but Angel knew that he needed more information first. "Can you describe the woman's face? The one that was holding the syringe?"

Cordelia was shaking her head before he finished his question. "All I can tell you is that I think she's human. All of them, the sons of bitches," she spat. "I got the impression that she was somehow in charge, but I didn't see her face. Angel, I know I was never a big supporter of Buffy, but she needs help. She needs us." _You_ , she wanted to say. Buffy needed Angel, and Cordelia was slowly coming to terms with that.

Sighing, Angel nodded and stood up again. He pulled on a pair of black boots, put on his long duster, and pulled up a duffle bag from the closet. Throwing the bag on his bed, he turned back to pull several sets of clothes. "Call Giles. We're going to need more information before we go..." His voice trailed off when he saw her expression. "What?"

"I called Giles as soon as I came out of the vision," she replied. "When he didn't pick up, I tried Willow, and she said that, and I'm quoting her here, thank you for calling, but they were currently trying to do what I told them to do and keep Buffy from slipping out to meet you, and then she—Willow—just hung up on me." Cordelia saw his bewildered expression and nodded. "I'm drawing a blank here as well. I think something weird is going on in Sunnydale. Which, I'll admit, isn't all that unusual for Sunny-hell, but still. And I don't like it."

"Neither do I," he agreed. He threw several stakes, a dagger, and a couple of knives inside the bag. "I'm assuming that you never asked them to keep Buffy from meeting me."

Cordelia rolled her eyes at him. "Like, duh! I know you haven't been back to Sunnydale since you left. First, you've been way too busy beating up every demon and vampire you could find, and second…" She gave him a small smiled and shrugged. "Well, I don't think you'd go without telling me or Wesley. You wouldn't disappear and have us worry about you if you could help it. Besides, even if I did think you were sneaking back to Sunny-hell, I'd be all over your ass way before I'd consider calling the Scooby-gang."

Angel felt the ice inside him melt just a little bit. Cordelia was proving to be a true friend to him. Despite her bravado, he knew that she had done a lot of growing up since they'd first met in Los Angeles. "I wouldn't," he agreed. Then, his voice turned hard, and his eyes turned the yellow color of his demon once again. "I would, however, like to know what the hell is going on in Sunnydale."

"Likewise," Cordelia agreed. "This being about half past noon, we're going to have to wait till sundown before we can leave."

Realizing that he hadn't even taken the sun into account, Angel cursed under his breath even as he zipped up the bag. "Fine, go get Wesley. I'll be right up. We'll try to see what we can find out about these doctors. As soon as the sun sets, I'm out of here."

"Got it." Cordelia jumped to her feet. "And it's _we're_ out of here at sunset. We're coming with you, Angel. And no arguing! You'll need us. I suspect that Buffy's friends have done what they do best in this kind of situation."

"This kind of situation?" Angel asked, not quite following her train of thought.

"Everything is fine and dandy as long as Buffy is doing what they all think she should be doing, but as soon as she does something not to their liking—like, say, contacting her ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be a vampire they'd very much prefer to see at the pointy end of a stake than with their Slayer—they turn on her faster than a New York minute." Cordelia shrugged, trying to hide her own shame, knowing she'd done exactly that to Buffy several times in the past. Worse, she knew that up until not that long ago, she still would have acted the same.

"Well, they do have a reason to worry ab—"

"Yeah, well, maybe they have a reason not to like your better-dressing less-soulful twin," Cordelia cut him off, "but I've seen them do that even when it didn't involve you and Angelus."

Angel sighed. He'd known Buffy's friends were giving her a hard time because of her relationship with him since they moment they'd found out he wasn't human. It was one of the reasons he thought leaving her would be for the best. He'd thought it would allow her to rebuild her ties with them and with her Watcher without split loyalties getting in the way.

Cordelia was halfway up the stairs to the office when she called back, "I'll go get Wesley. We'll meet you in the office in ten minutes."

He didn't bother answering, knowing she wouldn't hear him. Instead, he picked the duffle bag up and carried it to his car in the underground parking. Closing the trunk, he went up the stairs and headed into the office. He stopped by his apartment to pick up another bag. This one would hold the broadsword he favored, along with several more weapons for Cordelia and Wesley. It would be good having them with him in Sunnydale. In the past few months, he'd come to appreciate them more that he thought he would.

_Especially Cordelia,_ Angelus added with a smirk.

_Yeah, especially Cordy._

The office was empty when Angel walked in. He could sense both Cordelia and Wesley on the floor above him and knew that they would be down shortly. Cordelia knew him well enough to have taken his desire to leave as soon as was possible to heart, so she would have sent Wesley packing before going to do so herself. She probably understood he would leave them to take the bus to Sunnydale if they weren't ready to go as soon as the sun was down. When it came to Buffy, he was barely hanging on to the edge of his control. He wanted to be out the door at the first possible moment.

_So now you're rushing._ Angelus gave him a mental eye roll. He'd been surprisingly quiet during the conversation with Cordelia. _What? You'd rather be listening to me making plans to skin those idiots alive? I never liked them too much, especially that pathetic excuse for a male, Xander._

_No, I really wouldn't,_ Angel admitted reluctantly.

_Thought so. Now, get a move on it. I want to know who these doctors are and what they want with Buffy. Then, I want to find them and torture them._

Picking up the broadsword, a cross bow, and several more weapons, Angel threw them inside the bag and placed it next to the large desk. He would pack into it any books they thought to be relevant before they left. There was just one more thing he wanted to do, a phone call he needed to make, before he could dive into research.

Angel knew that they would need a place to stay in Sunnydale, and while the small town did have a motel within its city limits, they would all be much more comfortable staying at the mansion. No prying eyes and curious management there.

During his time away from Sunnydale, Angel had had a cleaning service come in once a month. That service, however, was instructed to keep only the first floor of the four-story building clean. All of the upstairs rooms have been closed down. The service company was owned by a demon Angel had helped out of a tight situation way back when, so he felt comfortable using them. Once Angel made the call and asked for the rooms to be cleaned and aired, the service would send someone over and ask no pesky questions nor pry into his affairs.

Angel finished the phone call just in time to look up and see the latest addition to his team, Charles Gunn, strolling inside the offices of Angel Investigations.

"Hey, Angel". Noticing that Angel had just finished the call, Gunn smiled. "Where's Cordy? I thought it was her job to answer the phone."

The smile on his face was erased as soon as he was close enough to see the expression on the vampire's face.

"Cordelia had a vision regarding possible trouble in Sunnydale," Angel said, gritting his teeth to control his rage and keep his face in its human façade. Angelus was still working out different torture methods he would like to use on those doctors, which wasn't helping Angel to keep himself calm and in check. "We leave as soon as the sun sets. Until then, we're looking into anything that would use humans or human-looking demons that like to experiment on the supernatural."

There was very little that could send Angel into such a tailspin, Gunn Thought. Even less that could have him running to Sunnydale as if the devil himself was chasing him. Wesley and Cordelia had given him the highlights on the Buffy and Angel saga a while ago—and if that was the short version, Gunn definitely didn't want to think how long the Director's Cut on that story would be—so Gunn thought it was a safe bet that this trouble, whatever it was, revolved around the Slayer. "Doesn't ring any bells. Want me to take over patrol tonight?"

Gunn was not one for research, Angel knew, so he nodded. "I'd appreciate that. Can you also drop by Lorne's and ask him if he'd heard anything stirring trouble lately?"

"Will do," Gunn said as he turned on his heel. "Will call as soon as I have news."

"Okay." Angel turned toward the library.

"Angel?" Gunn paused before opening the door and waited until the souled vampire turned back and looked at him. "If you need me to come to Sunnydale, just say the word."

Angel nodded, knowing that the young fighter would be an asset. "Thank you. I don't know yet if I'll need you there or need you to take over here, but I appreciate the offer."

It was slightly disconcerting to find out just how good and loyal a group of friends he had gathered without him noticing, Angel thought as he watched Gunn walk out. He knew that things were better between him and the street kid that nearly got himself killed as an amateur demon-hunter, but he was still pleasantly surprised by the offer of help.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03**

Six hours later, Angel and his team were no closer to finding any answers than they were when Cordelia had had her vision. Gunn called a little while ago, saying that Lorne hadn't heard anything about new groups of doctors—human or otherwise—that were running around California. He couldn't promise that there were none around the world, he'd said, but no renegade docs close by.

"I think I've read that one already," Cordelia said with a sigh and closed the book she was holding. She stood up to return the book to its shelf when another vision suddenly hit her, making her stumble and nearly fall to the floor.

Angel got to her before she could hit the hardwood.

"Ground shaking," Cordelia murmured. From past experience she knew that sharing the vision as it came helped her cement details in her memory. It was usually fragmented, but it was better than running the risk of forgetting something important. "Demon, ew. Green face, seriously bad hair. Horns. It's in a…graveyard? Yes, inside a mausoleum. It's taking something. Bones. Small ones. A symbol of some kind." She blinked, breathing heavily as the headache began pounding even before her vision cleared. "Give me a pen."

Wesley held out a pen and a piece of paper, and she began scribbling something on it.

"This is the symbol I saw at the end. I think it has something to do with the demon." She turned the page around to show the drawing to the men.

"It looks familiar," Wesley said, tilting his head to the side as he sifted through his memory. The sketch reminded him of a letter from the Greek alphabet—a psi—but Cordelia drew it with some additional embellishments unrelated to the letter. "I'll be right back," he said, standing up. "I think there's a book about Greek medals and charms in the library that might be helpful."

"While he's working on that, try to describe the demon to me," Angel asked Cordelia as he offered her two tablets and a glass of water. He had taken into a habit to keep some painkillers nearby for just such an occasion.

 _Drug lord in the making._ Angelus snickered. _There just might be some hope for you yet._

Angel ignored him.

"Thanks." Cordelia swallowed the pills and closed her eyes for a moment. It was hard to concentrate on what she'd seen while suffering a splitting headache. "It was kind of greenish. Three horns in the middle of its forehead. His, well, hair, I suppose you'd call it, looked like thick ropes held together by its skin. Lots of teeth. Pointy nose. Oh, and it had no eyebrows, which didn't add to the overall appeal whatsoever, let me tell you."

 _Sounds like a whole bunch of demons I can think of,_ Angelus piped up, rolling his eyes as the vague description.

Angel silently agreed. "Any idea on size?"

"I think it was big." She frowned. "But then again, it could be that the mausoleum was just small."

_Like your brain?_

_Shut up,_ Angel ordered.

Angelus gave a mental shrug, not caring and still snickering.

Deciding that ignoring Angelus would be best, Angel took another sheet of paper and picked up a pencil. He began to draw a general shape of the head. He added the horns in the center of the forehead, sharpened the end of the nose, and drew the strand-like hair Cordelia had described.

She gave him a few more pointers, and he refined the sketch accordingly. After a few more touch ups, she declared it close enough to what she'd seen.

They'd been working in tandem—Cordelia describing what she saw, and Angel making the sketch based upon her words—since the first time Cordelia had tried to draw a demon she'd seen in her vision and came up with little more than stick figures. Angelus had used this particular talent to torment Buffy when he was free, so Angel viewed it as a way of making amends to put his skills into identifying what Cordelia saw.

 _Can't fucking believe I'm demeaning myself into sketching ugly-ass demons,_ Angelus grumbled. _From sexy, naked Slayer to obnoxious Vahrall demons. Just stake me!_

 _I would if I could,_ Angel replied.

 _Oh, I know_. Angelus reverted back to snickering. He really enjoyed getting on the soul's nerves, especially since there was nothing Soul-Boy could do about it. _Too bad you're not likely to fall on a stake any time soon._

Angel sighed inwardly. It was useless to argue with Angelus, and he knew it, but sometimes he just couldn't help answering him. _You do realize that if I met the sharp end of a stake, it would be the end of you, too, right?_

 _Well, there's little entertainment where I'm at._ Angelus gave a mental shrug. _Unless…_

Angel nearly groaned out load when Angelus brought up memories from their past. It was of Angelus' early years with Darla.

 _Now, that woman knew how to entertain a vampire._ He was almost smacking his lips at the images he was conjuring.

 _She was almost as crazy as you are,_ Angel accused. _Perhaps crazier._

 _Which is why we staked her ass,_ Angelus replied, unoffended.

"I think I know what demon this is," Angel said aloud to Cordelia just as Wesley walked back into the room. He stood up and searched the pile they'd gone through before, containing books on humanoid demons. Picking up a book, he leafed through it until he found the relevant page. "A Vahrall demon."

"Extremely strong, very intelligent, and very large species," Wesley commented after skimming the written description.

Cordelia snorted after reading the same paragraph. "Nine feet and three inches on average and topping at three hundred pound is not very large, Wesley. That thing is huge!"

"Yes, it is." Wesley placed the book he'd carried in on top of the one they were looking at. "Add the Word of Valios, the bones of a child, and an earthquake, and you got yourself an apocalypse."

"Another one?" Cordelia groaned. "Well, they don't call it Sunny-hell for nothing, I guess."

Angel allowed himself a slight smile as she slumped against the back of the chair and pouted. He decided not to tell her that the only people calling Sunnydale by that nickname were she and Spike. She'd hardly appreciate the association.

 _Oh, she would just love a comparison to William,_ Angelus agreed. _And I'd love to have a tête-à-tête with that bastard grandchilde of mine. Owe him a few days' worth of torture._

Angel tried to push aside the memories that comment had brought up. It wasn't time to rehash the days when Spike had paid a visit to Lost Angeles at the end of the previous year. The blond vampire had been convinced that Angel had stolen the Gem of Amara and therefore was determined to torture his sire into revealing where the latter was hiding it. Angel had tried telling the idiot that the gem was nothing more than a myth, but it took over three days of torture before Spike was finally willing to concede that Angel didn't know where the gem was.

 _He's probably still chasing his tail looking for the stupid ring._ Angelus was none too pleased by that torture session, though he did approve of the advance of his protégé in the art of making one talk. He was the grand-sire, and he should have gotten more respect than that. He knew exactly whom to blame for that lack of respect.

_Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm the bane of your existence, the thorn in your side, the blemish on your record…_

_The asshole who wouldn't shut up?_ Angelus offered.

 _No, that would be you,_ Angel retorted. "I guess it's good that we're on route to Sunnydale as it is, then."

"Sunset is in two hours," Wesley said after glancing at his wrist. "Gives us just enough time to try to figure out how the Vahrall demon is going to go about ending the world."

_Oh, how to end the word, let me count the ways..._

"The Word of Valios talisman is supposed to be used as part of a ritual called the Sacrifice of Three," Angel said. "Once performed, it is supposed to bring hell on earth."

"How do you know this?" Cordelia looked at him in amazement.

"I've come across the ritual a while ago."

 _You mean, I came across the ritual,_ Angelus corrected. _Acathla was easier to obtain and a bit more impressive than simply opening the Hellmouth._

"The ritual requires the blood of a human male, the bones of a child, and this talisman," Angel continued quickly before anyone could ask him exactly how he'd come to know so much.

"All but the talisman are easy to come by, especially in Sunnydale," Wesley said. "I'd say the best way to stop this apocalypse is to prevent the demon from finding the talisman."

"And if we can't, at least we know where to meet him when he tries to open the Hellmouth." Cordelia sighed. "It's never good to be going back to high school unless it's for a ten-year reunion, and even then, you're in for a disappointment."

"I wonder…."

"What, Wesley?" Angel asked when the former Watcher just trailed off without saying anything else.

"Well, I'm trying to think if there is a connection between this apocalypse and the doctors Cordelia saw in her previous vision."

"Don't really see how," Cordelia admitted. "You'd think the Powers would not give me another vision before we figured out the one before unless the two are related, but they do whatever the hell they want and screw with the rest of us."

Wesley stared at her, uncomfortable at the fury in her voice. They all knew that the visions weren't easy for Cordelia to handle, but he hadn't known it was this bad. Or perhaps her anger had nothing to do with the visions, he thought and hope sprang inside him.

Angel decided that a break was in order. Recalling that none of them had anything to eat in hours, he suggested, "I think we've been going at it long enough. Why don't I cook some dinner for you and Wesley before we leave for Sunnydale?"

Her eyes closed, Cordelia nodded. "Sounds good."

Angel stood and looked at Wesley, signaling for him to follow. He could see that the painkillers still hadn't made much difference with Cordelia's headache, and he knew her well enough by now to understand that she needed a few minutes alone.

o.O.o

In the kitchen in his apartment, Angel began taking out the groceries needed for a meal. It was a first for him to have things like spaghetti, tomatoes, and eggs stocked regularly. There was still the usual pig's or cow's blood in opaque plastic containers in his refrigerator, but the bottom drawers now held vegetables, and milk and orange juice cartons were found on the top shelves. He'd also discovered that he enjoyed the process of cooking, even if he didn't eat any of the final results. Cordelia and Wesley did, and sometimes Gunn joined them as well, and Angel found that it was a good way for them to unwind and spend time together that didn't necessarily involve the supernatural.

"I'm worried about her," Wesley said as he watched Angel fill a pot with water and place it on the stove. "The headaches aren't getting any easier, and I suspect that the painkillers are doing less and less for her."

Angel sighed. "I agree. I…"

"What?"

Not looking up from the cutting board where he began chopping tomatoes for the sauce he indented to make, Angel said, "I don't think that the visions were meant to be handed over to a human."

Having heard the story of how Cordelia came by the visions, Wesley knew that the previous owner was partially demon. "I don't think that the Powers That Be would have allowed—"

"Screw the Powers!" Angel snapped. "They don't give a damn about whose lives they're messing with, and they wouldn't care that a human might not be able to handle the burden. All they care is that they get what they want in the end."

 _Way to go, Soul-Boy,_ Angelus cheered. _Now let's bite the annoying ex-Watcher and be done with it._

Angel merely gave a mental eye roll at his demon's suggestion. _Cow's blood for us for dinner, Angelus, and you know it._

Leaving Angelus to grumble, Angel took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Touchy subject."

Wesley examined Angel's expression. He wondered if Angel was aware that his eyes were tinted with gold. "I'm a good listener," he offered.

Finished with the tomatoes, Angel put down the knife. He couldn't tell Wesley everything, but he could offer him something. "I had a visit from Whistler."

"Whistler?"

"He's a messenger for the Powers. Pissed me off."

"He said something about Cordelia?" Wesley asked, glancing at the doorway to make sure Cordelia wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation.

"No." Angel added salt to the water in the pot and began to work on chopping the onions. "He wanted me to go back to Sunnydale."

Wesley remained quiet as he watched Angel work the knife in precise, methodical movements.

"He said that Buffy's life was in danger."

Deciding that mentioning that a Slayer's life was always in danger would do little but piss the demon off further, Wesley said, "Angel, we'll do everything we can to help her. I just hope she'll let us. I haven't exactly made the best of impressions on her the last time I was there."

"She won't turn down your help, Wes," Angel reassured him. He took out a pan, poured some oil into it, and placed it next to the boiling pot. "Buffy is…"

 _Sexy as hell?_ Angelus offered. _Powerful, strong, and absolutely delicious? And I'm talking about both her blood and between her thighs._

Growing hard at the thoughts Angelus was pushing over him, Angel took a deep breath to try to clear away the heat of desire. "She's very forgiving, and she won't turn down help averting an apocalypse when it's offered."

"I guess not." But Wesley was still concerned. He'd made a mess of things twice. Once it had nearly cost the life of a Slayer who was now in a coma, and the second time it came close to costing the life of a man he came to think of as a true friend. "I'm sorry, Angel. I realize I never apologized for not trying harder when you were poisoned."

"No apology is necessary," Angel said, turning to look at him. "I can't blame the Council for not wanting to help a vampire, and you're not the same man you were when we first met. I understand perfectly, but…if you need forgiveness, it is yours." He of all people knew just how much forgiveness was necessary sometimes.

"Thank you."

Angel nodded. He added the chopped onion to the pan where the oil was now sizzling. "I think that once we are back here in L.A., we should look into what we can do for Cordelia."

Accepting the change of subject, Wesley nodded. He knew that Buffy and forgiveness were always hard to speak of for Angel. "I'll go check up on her. We'll be down in a few minutes." There was one more thing Wesley thought was worth looking into, and he wanted to speak about it with Cordelia.

When he reached the office, Cordelia was looking better, though she was still a bit paler than her usual self. "Cordelia?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Hey, Wes. Sorry, the headaches are a bitch. Is Angel done with dinner already?"

"No, not yet." He sat down on the table next to her. "There was something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" She gave him a onceover and smirked. "Must be something good if it's making you this nervous. You're not going to ask me to marry you, are you?"

Wesley chuckled, relaxing. "No, I do believe that once was enough. And might I remind you that I was quite drunk at the time?"

"Still can't believe Lorne let you drink so much." She was shaking her head at the memory.

"I think Lorne was paying me back for being a pompous ass the first time I met him." Before she could protest, he added, "I totally deserved it, so no arguing. Anyway, this isn't what I came here to talk to you about. It's Angel. I want to do something for him."

Cordelia gave him an amused look. "I'm pretty sure that our Angel isn't batting for the other team, Wes."

The headache definitely hadn't affected her sense of humor, Wesley thought. "You know, if I _were_ batting for the other team, as you've so eloquently put it, I think I might have gone after Angel. Those leather pants really do make you think…"

She stared at him in shock.

Wesley laughed heartily. "You should have seen your face!"

"Evil!" She hit him in the arm, laughing as well. "I do agree with you on the leather, though."

Growing serious again, Wesley glanced down at his hands. "Angel has done so much for me, for us, and I'd like to see if we could do something for him. I've been looking into this myself for a while now, but I need help, and I thought you'd like to be on board as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want to see if we can bind Angel's soul," he said. "It would give him some peace to know that Angelus can never be released again, and I think that Angel deserves as much peace as we can give him. I don't want to bring this up with him just yet. No point in raising his hopes prematurely, and you know Angel…"

"He'll find a way to reason out why he doesn't deserve this," Cordelia finished, in complete agreement with the sentiment. "You've come a long way since I first met you, Wes." She offered him a smile. "I like this new Wesley. And of course I'll help. Wanna show me what you've got so far?"

Wesley nodded and began telling her everything he found out so far.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04**

Angel stirred the tomato sauce in the pan while keeping an eye on the boiling pasta.

_You're so domesticated I feel like throwing up,_ Angelus complained. _At least you're finally going to our mate. Took you long enough._

_I'm not going to her,_ Angel insisted. _I'm going to Sunnydale to help avert an apocalypse. Once we're done, we're all going back here._

Angelus snorted. _Yeah, yeah, you keep telling that to yourself. Might believe it someday, too._

There was something underneath the derogative words, though, something Angel very rarely felt from his demon. _What's wrong, Angelus? Worried we can't stop the end of the world, and we'd all end up dead?_

_Pfft. With a Watcher duo, a Slayer, a witch, and Miss Visions, this apocalypse will be a piece of cake. Those Vahrall demons are not that smart, anyway. They are huge motherfuckers, but even your sorry ass can handle them, especially if we have our mate by your side._

Angel paused, slightly confused. If Angelus didn't care about the apocalypse, what was he worried about?

_Nothing,_ Angelus replied. _Worrying is your thing, Soul-Boy. I'm more into the killing and maiming._

Angel thought about Angelus' actions when he'd been released last. It didn't last long, but it was enough to leave a lasting impression on both of them.

An actress Angel was hired to guard had decided that she wanted him, and she didn't care for his refusal. Angel though that she'd have let it go if it was just sex that she'd wanted from him, but it wasn't. In fact, getting him into her bed was just the prelude to her plan to become a vampire herself, with him serving as her sire.

Angelus laughed at her reason for it. She didn't want to grow old and wrinkled. That woman was so stupid and vain that Angel knew Angelus would as likely drain her dry and kill her immediately as turn her only to stake her after she'd had risen. His demon didn't mind minions, but he couldn't stand stupidity even within the lowliest of ranks.

_Stupidity and incompetence usually go hand in hand,_ Angelus told him. _And I'd have drained her dry and saved me the trouble._

_You were too busy feeling grateful for being out again to drain her,_ Angel reminded him.

_I had something else on my mind._

_Yeah, you did._ Angel sighed and took the pan with the sauce off the burner. The sauce was done, and the pasta should be, too, in a few minutes. He wanted to fight the memories, but everything came back to him as if he were reliving it again.

After he'd refused to turn Rebecca, the actress, she took matters into her own hands. She slipped a pill into the drink she gave him as a peace offering. Feeling awkward as it was, Angel hadn't felt he could refuse it.

Within minutes of drinking, however, he felt himself growing drowsy and knew that trouble was coming. He knocked Rebecca out and escaped her apartment, putting as much distance between them as was possible while he still could. Angle had made it as far as two blocks away from her before he collapsed in an alleyway.

_What is it with you and alleys anyway?_ Angelus wondered. _Stinking places._

Angelus had sensed the drug immediately but had thought it would be interesting to see what happened, so he didn't warn Angel. Once the drug took effect, Angelus felt the chains holding him down weaken. A few moments later, he was free once more.

Angelus could still feel Angel inside him, though. It hadn't been like last time. The soul wasn't completely gone as it had after his lovemaking with Buffy. That meant that the effect would be temporary. It also meant that while he'd thought about going after Rebecca, there was a much more pressing matter for him to take care of first. Buffy.

Angelus decided against taking the chance of returning to the Hyperion hotel for his car. If he'd gone back there, he would have had to kill both Cordelia and Doyle. Killing one but not the other meant that there would have been a witness left to call the Slayer and warn her off before he made it over to Sunnydale. Since it would just be his luck to find one but not the other, he decided he didn't want to waste the time.

Instead, he drained the owner of a black BMW and stole the man's car. Racing along the highway, Angelus allowed himself to imagine what he would do to the Slayer once he got to Sunnydale. Again, time was of the essence. He would have loved to play with her again for a while, break her down further. He was confident that he would be able to this time around. Because, by then, it would have been several months since Angel had left her, and she would have suffered just as much as the soul for their forced separation. Buffy wouldn't be as strong as she were the last time around. Sighing, he knew that he'd have to settle for grabbing her, fucking her to get rid of the soul permanently, and then turning her as quickly as possible.

Making it to Sunnydale in record time, Angelus dumped the car just outside city limits and headed straight to the university campus. He found Buffy's room easily enough and knew, by the lingering scent in it, that she'd shared it with Willow. Seeing that it was empty, he decided that she was probably patrolling and left the dorms.

He'd tracked her down in the second cemetery he checked. She was fighting a couple of fledglings, so he took the opportunity to study her. She was still delicious looking. The curves of her body still made him hard for her almost instantaneously. The way she was moving, precise and deadly, only fueled what was already a raging fire inside him.

She dusted the young vampires easily enough, but just as Angelus made his presence known—he'd already decided that he'd pretend to be Soul-Boy and lure her to the mansion—they were attacked. The demon was unknown to him, which wasn't a very common occurrence as he'd had a couple of centuries' worth of knowledge stored in his mind. The humanoid demon wielded a sword, and Angelus cursed Angel for not being better armed. All he had on his person was a short dagger and a stake, and he knew that Buffy wouldn't carry anything better than that on a routine patrol.

Angelus wasn't surprised to learn that they made an excellent team fighting side-by-side. He already knew how great a team they made in bed, and he was almost drooling at the thought of how deliciously evil she would be as his true mate. A turned Slayer would make one hell of a demon, he was certain, and he couldn't wait to see just how strong and lethal a vampire Buffy would make.

His plans were foiled once again, however. The demon's blade managed to snag his shoulder, causing Angelus to bleed. He roared and let his face change, causing the demon to hesitate just long enough for Buffy to plunge her own dagger into its chest. Some of the demon's green blood got on her fingers so, when she'd touched Angel's cut shoulder, it was transferred.

Angelus knew instantly that there was something about the demon's blood. It was making him feel weaker by the second. It had made for a good excuse to get Buffy to go to the mansion with him, but once they were there, he wasn't in any shape to do anything but collapse on the sheet-covered bed.

"Stay," he murmured when she turned to leave the room.

"I'm not leaving you," she assured him. "I'm just going to get something to clean your shoulder."

He watched her go to the adjoining bathroom and tried to think around the pain taking over him to revise his plan. Before he could come up with anything, however, he was unconscious.

When Angel opened his eyes again, he found himself looking into Buffy's worried face. He felt weak and very weird, but he also felt elated to see her. "I love you," he whispered to her. If he was going to die—again, and this time for good—he wanted her to know that simple fact.

Buffy was crying. "I love you, too, Angel. Don't give up, please."

He gave her a small smile and fought to raise his hand to her cheek but said nothing. He felt himself growing weaker yet and knew he had little time left.

"Fight, Angel," she begged him. "You have to fight this."

There was just one thing he wanted to do before he died, he thought and gathered his strength to speak. "Kiss…me."

Buffy smiled through her tears and leaned down to him.

The kiss was bittersweet. Despite her bravado, she knew that he was dying in her arms.

She tasted so good, Angel thought. Better than any blood, even her own. And he loved her so much.

He heard her cry out his name again, but he couldn't answer. He felt darkness taking over him.

"Angel?" her voice wasn't desperate now. It was still tinged with fear, but there was also curiosity in it, he decided.

He couldn't open his eyes, though, and he couldn't find his tongue to answer her. He was tired, so tired.

"Sleep, my love," she murmured to him, and he felt her lips touch his again.

Tearing himself back from the memories, Angel turned his attention to the pasta. It was ready and needed to be drained. These memories were too painful, and for a refreshing change, Angelus was in complete agreement with him.

Neither Angel nor Angelus could have imagined what would happen in Sunnydale. It had turned out that the demon that had attacked them was called a Mohra demon. Its blood had regenerative properties. Once it was mixed with Angel's blood, it turned him back into a human.

_Stop,_ Angel told himself, fighting not to recall. It was too painful to remember the beautiful day he'd spent with Buffy. Angel had done his best to bury the memories as deeply as possible since then, but with everything happening tonight—Whistler's appearance, his dream of Buffy, and Cordelia's visions—it just couldn't be helped.

Once realizing that he had a heartbeat again, Angel and Buffy had tried to have an adult conversation, but it took only the touch of their hands to throw the grown-up decision of taking things slow out the window. They didn't make it to the bed that first time around. Too hungry for each other, they ended up on the floor of the ballroom, tearing at each other's clothes. They'd spent the rest of the day in bed, rediscovering each other's body.

Upon nightfall, Buffy and he had both agreed that she needed to talk to Giles and see what could cause Angel's transition. Shortly after she left, Angel found out that the demon he thought they'd killed wasn't dead at all. It had apparently followed their scents back to the mansion, and Angel tried to fight it. The demon had been about to kill him when the Slayer charged, knocking him away from her lover. She'd heard the struggle and turned to run back.

The blow to his ego had been nothing compared to the realization that there was one serious downside to his turning human. He was no good to Buffy in this weakened form.

Buffy was able to knock the demon out, and they made their escape from the mansion and headed to Giles' apartment. The Watcher was out, and Angel found himself grateful for it. Buffy told him that Giles now had a girlfriend that he'd met in England. She was staying with them for the holidays, and Buffy theorized that Giles was probably out for dinner with her.

Angel didn't find it odd that Buffy didn't want to interrupt Giles on his date. She always tried to allow her friends as much of a normal life as she could, and he wondered if they were even aware of it, let alone appreciated it.

They found the Mohra demon in the second book Buffy had opened, and it was soon clear why the demon came back. The only way to truly kill it was to destroy the jewel that the demon had in the center of its forehead.

Angel's ego had taken another blow when he was forced to let Buffy go after the demon alone. He couldn't let her get distracted by him, and he was no longer in a position to be anything but a liability. Therefore, while she was out, Angel continued to research. He couldn't help but think that it had been a trick of some kind. He also wondered if there was a way to give him his strength back. He couldn't walk away, not while knowing what was out there, but he couldn't continue on as a burden. He wouldn't allow himself to be the cause of Buffy's death, which was exactly what he would be if he could not find a way to become strong again.

As if guided by a hidden hand, a book fell from one of the piles and opened to a spell meant for summoning the Knowing Ones, messengers of The Powers That Be. Angel dismissed it at first, but upon a second reading thought that it might be helpful in gaining some answers. It required little in terms of ingredients, all of which Angel knew would be easy to come by, but he thought it would be more prudent to do the spell in the mansion, where he would not be disturbed. Leaving a note for Buffy, Angel arranged the books back in their place and headed out.

He'd cast the spell as soon as he returned to the mansion. He needed answers, and he needed them fast. The Mohra demon had said that more would come even if it was killed, mentioning that end of days.

"I beseech access to the Knowing Ones," Angel finished and lit the ingredients in the bowl in front of him.

A bright light flashed through the mansion, and a door appeared when it faded. Angel steadied himself and walked through it.

He saw a pair of golden-skinned creatures standing on a raised platform before him. Everything else around them was obscured by blue-tinted smoke.

"Do you know what happens to lower beings who summon us?" demanded the male of the pair.

"Calm, brother," the female said. "It is the Champion. What have you brought us?"

Angel had read about a gift offering, but he had little time to come up with something. He hoped the wristwatch would be enough. "This."

The watch disappeared from his fingers and reappeared in the female's hand. "The gift of time. Lovely. I like time. There is so little and so much of it."

"Well?" the male demanded of Angel, clearly impatient.

"Why have I been turned human?" Angel asked. He knew that he had to ask his questions quickly or lose their patience with him and be thrown out. Or worse. The book he'd read didn't specify what worse entailed, but Angel wasn't keen on finding that our personally. "It was the demon's blood that regenerated it, not the Powers."

"The Powers That Be?" the male mocked. "Have you saved humanity? Did you avert the apocalypse?"

"You faced a Mohra demon. Life goes on," the female said. "The Powers had nothing with this."

"From this day, you will live and die as any mortal man," the male said. "Privy to all the attendant pains…and pleasures."

"That which we serve is no longer that which you serve. You are released from your fealty," the female said and they both turned to walk away.

"What about what the demon said?" Angel asked quickly before they could disappear and throw him out. "He said that the end of days has begun and can't be stopped. It said that more were coming, soldiers of darkness. I need to know if he was telling the truth."

The pair turned to him again, and the male replied, "As far as such things can be told."

"What happens to the Slayer when these soldiers come?" Angel asked, dread filling him. He didn't like the answers he was getting or the general careless treatment of the Knowing Ones.

"What happens to all mortal beings," the female replied calmly. "Albeit sooner, in her case."

"Then I am here to plead for her life," Angel said quickly.

"It is not our place to grant life or death," the male calmly said and turned from him.

"Then grant me strength," Angel begged, and the pair turned once again. "I can't protect her or anyone, not as a human."

"You're asking this because of the Slayer?" The female raised a brow.

The male looked annoyed. "This is a matter of love. It does not concern us."

"Yes, it does," Angel insisted. "The demon came to take a warrior from your cause and succeeded. I'm no good to you like this. I know you have it in your power to make this right. Please."

There was something in the female's face that made Angel hopeful. The conversation that followed between the pair, however, shook him.

"What is done cannot be undone," the male insisted.

The female shook her head. "What is not yet done, can be avoided," she reminded him.

"Temporal folds are not to be indulged at the whims of lower beings."

"Brother, this one is no lower being." She placed her hand on his arm to stop him from walking away. "This former warrior is willing to sacrifice every drop of his life energy for another Champion. He is willing to continue the fight for the cause—our cause—even once released."

They stared at each other for a moment that lasted an eternity as Angel's heart beat madly inside his chest.

"There is one way," the male finally said, turning to look at him.

"It is not to be undertaken lightly," the female warned.

"I'm listening," Angel said, determined.

"We swallow this day as though it had never happened. Twenty-four hours back from the moment you summoned us."

He felt his heart shatter inside him at her words. He wanted to beg for another way. He wanted to be granted the strength and remain human, normal for Buffy. He was smart enough, however, to take what was offered him. He would not risk Buffy dying just so he could continue to breathe. There was just one thing he needed to know. "What would stop things from happening the exact same way?"

"You," the male answered. "You alone will carry the memory."

"Can you carry this burden?" the female asked.

Upon Angel's nod, he found himself thrown out of the smoke-filled room and against a wall. He groaned. His head felt as though it was splitting.

_That's what you get for using your head as a battering ram,_ Angelus sneered.

Angel's heart sank. He recognized his surroundings as that of his apartment in Los Angeles. A glance at his wrist told him that the Knowing Ones had indeed done what they'd promised. It was the evening before his meeting with Rebecca. He'd just gotten back from dusting several vampires he'd met along his way back to the apartment.

_Better get a move on, Soul-Boy, or you'll be late for your date._

He gathered himself and tried to focus. His heart was aching, but it no longer beat.

_It hadn't beat in a couple of centuries,_ Angelus reminded him. _What's with the nostalgia now?_

_You don't remember?_ Angel was shocked. He hadn't expected this turn of events.

_Remember what?_

_Nothing._ But Angel couldn't stop himself from thinking about the wonderful short stay he'd had in Sunnydale.

Angelus had roared and raged inside his head, but eventually, as they made their way toward Sunnydale later that night, Angelus had come to agree with Angel's plan. Or parts of it.

After faking drinking the drugged Champaign, Angel knocked Rebecca out and left her apartment. Just like before, he'd stolen a car to take him to Sunnydale without stopping at the Hyperion to gather his own, though this time he'd spared the owner instead of killing him.

Angel headed straight to the cemetery where they'd first encountered the Mohra demon. By not taking a detour to the dormitory, Angel was able to get to the demon and kill it before Buffy arrived for her patrol. He'd slipped away into the shadows, going far enough that he could give himself a chance to watch her without her sensing him. It was then that Angelus had tried to alter the plan. He'd threatened and shouted at Angel not to leave their mate. Eventually, the demon even begged. Angel was determined not to intervene, though. She deserved a normal life, and it had just been proven to him that he could never be part of such a life for her.

_I can't be a human with her, and I can't give her anything as a vampire,_ Angel said as he again sped along the highway, leaving Sunnydale behind him.

Angelus was still roaring inside him, though Angel couldn't really distinguish the individual words the demon was throwing at him.

_I was cursing you to hell, and you damn well know it,_ Angelus said now, pulling them both away from the memories of the day that never was. _We could have made it work. Fuck, we would have made it work if you could just get over yourself! We could have had our mate in our arms instead of her fucking some not-yet-dead blood-bag. We could have had her._ Angelus' tone turned desperate and sad at the end.

It was then that something occurred to Angel. It was completely unexpected, yet it made absolute sense. _You're in love with her._ Angel tried not to sound as shocked as he felt at the revelations. _You love just as much as I do._

_Don't be daft, Soul-Boy. I'm a demon. I can't love._

_Oh, really, so what would you say about Spike and Drusilla?_

_She's nuts and that idiot was never turned right,_ Angelus insisted. _Dru is too far out there to understand, and as much as I tried, William was too fucked up to begin with._

Angel marveled at the new realization. His demon loved Buffy just as much as his soul did.

Angelus sighed and remained quiet. He was a demon. He didn't love. Couldn't love. That emotion was saved for the soul. He lusted, that he could understand. He definitely desired and wanted, but he didn't love.

"Something here smells great!" Cordelia announced from the doorway of the kitchen.

_Yeah, that would be your blood,_ Angelus said, grateful for the distraction.

"Come sit," Angel said. "Food is ready." _And we will get back to this matter again soon,_ he promised his demon.

_Fine, whatever. Go feed the cattle._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 05**

_Sunnydale_

By the time Buffy made her way back into the dormitory, it was already early morning. She wasn't surprised to find the room empty and figured that Willow would be in class by now.

Sighing, Buffy went about taking a shower to wash all of the grime off her body. She had just entered the room again when she realized that it was no longer empty.

Riley Fin was sitting on her bed, obviously waiting for her.

Buffy was immediately on guard. She knew that she shouldn't have been surprised he tracked her down. He was a TA and an Initiative commander. It wouldn't have been hard for him to find out her room number and schedule. She also knew that he would want to see her after their impromptu meeting at the belfry. She was still uncertain regarding his involvement in her recent kidnapping. She wanted to believe that he was too much of an idealist and a general good-guy to be involved in any of that, but she wasn't about to lower her guard.

Closing the door behind her, she threw the dirty clothes to the hamper and set the toiletries next to her as she sat down on Willow's bed.

"I guess we have to talk," Riley began.

"I guess we do." Buffy looked at him, waiting. She wasn't about to be the first to breach the subject of their secrets, which was what she was certain Riley was there to talk about.

Several long moments passed in mutual silence.

"Somebody should speak before one of us graduates," she said calmly.

Riley stood up and sighed. He took one step away from her and the bed, realized that he'd come next to a chair, and turned back to look at her. "What are you?"

 _Well, that was direct,_ Buffy thought. _Two points for trying_. "Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius. You?" she said with perfect ease. Though she had become an excellent liar, she spoke the truth this time.

"Sorry." Riley looked sheepish. "That came out a little blunter than I indented. It's just… You are amazing! Your speed, your strength."

"Also passionate, artistic, and inquisitive," Buffy added, her tone growing sharper. "Who are you?" Though she already knew the answer to that, she wanted to see his reaction.

"You know who I am," he replied with perfect sincerity. His face revealing nothing more than slight confusion and a hint of intrigue.

 _He's good,_ Buffy thought and waited for him to continue. People said more when one let the silence hang. She'd learned that from…

 _No, don't go there, Buffy,_ she told herself.

"The rest…" Riley continued after another long moment. He passed his hand through his hair and looked away from her face. "What I do…"

Buffy watched as he made another round of pacing—two steps to the dresser, one to the chair, another two back in front of her. The room was really small.

"I can't tell you," he said, finally raising his gaze to meet hers.

She stood up. He was tall, and she didn't feel like craning her neck any more than was absolutely necessary. "Well, then let me." Buffy made sure to watch his face carefully as she spoke. "You are part of some military monster squad that captures demons, vampires, and all the rest of the stuff that goes bump in the night. You probably have some official-sounding euphemisms for them, too. Something like… un-friendlies? Non-sapiens?"

"Hostile Sub Terrestrials," Riley murmured, his eyes growing wide.

"So you capture these…HSTs," she said, deciding that the military-esque organization would probably be using acronyms rather than explicit terms. "You then deliver them to a bunch of lab coats, who perform experiments on them. These so called experiments result in, among other things, turning these monsters into harmless little bunnies." Buffy decided to take a chance with revealing her knowledge of this. She was certain that Spike's case wasn't unique and wouldn't be traced back to him as the source of the information and implicate her or her friends.

It had been several weeks since she'd come across Spike and learned of what had been done to him. She'd kicked his ass—as usual—but by the time she reached for her stake, he was gone. Also, as was usual. The following day, she caught a brief glimpse of him on campus grounds but couldn't follow due to several vampires attacking her at the time. It was only later that she realized that he must have been looking for a way back inside the Initiative's compound.

Later, she had seen Spike trying to attack a human only to recoil in pain. She'd chased him away from the human and discovered—well, beat the information out of him, really—some of the story. He'd been captured by a bunch of soldiers, had some kind of tests done on him, and was unable to attack humans since making his escape. She had made him show her the exit through which he'd made his escape by threatening more bodily harm, and he had eventually relented and shown it to her. It was of little use as the tunnel was collapsed and blocked—apparently the Initiative had become aware of that possible security hazard and made sure it couldn't be used to escape again.

Buffy had then offered Spike help. Mostly because she thought he could be used to get more information on the Initiative. Spike, however, had managed to make his escape for the third time by getting lucky—they both heard some rustling in the bushes and turned to see several of the Initiative's soldiers nearby. Using her distraction for his benefit, Spike slipped away, and Buffy decided to leave him be for the time being. He'd been castrated, for all intents and purposes, so getting more information on the amateur demon-hunters organization was more important at the time.

Buffy had been deliberating whether or not to share Spike's revelations with her friends. Spike might have been rendered unable to harm humans, but that didn't mean he wasn't still dangerous if one of them came across him. Having decided to share that information and ask for her friends' help in researching the Initiative—Spike at least had been able to give her the name of the military organization if nothing else useful—Buffy approached Giles and the gang the very next day.

They'd been researching since but found very little useful information, and Buffy hadn't seen Spike since he'd made his escape. She'd gone as far as checking with Willy the Snitch, but he hadn't seen the bleached-blond vampire either. With the recent events of her spying on the Initiative and being kidnapped by them, Buffy thought that she probably possessed more knowledge about them than Spike had had the opportunity to learn in his brief captivity period with them.

"How am I doing so far?" Buffy asked Riley, folding her arms across her chest and meeting his gaze calmly.

"A little too well," he admitted, more than a little concerned.

"Meanwhile, by day, you pretend to be Riley Finn, corn-fed Iowa boy. Ever been to Iowa, Riley?" she asked, giving him a doubtful look. "If that's even your name."

"It is," he was quick to reassure her. "Born and raised. And hey, bulletin, I'm not the only one who's been a little less than honest here."

Buffy sat back down, this time on her own bed, and smiled up at him. They were getting somewhere. Riley Finn was on the defensive now, but he also made the impression of wanting to reassure her. She decided that he was still very much interested in her, despite discovering that she'd kept secrets from him. She had no intention of becoming anything other than enemies with him because she could sense that there was something seriously wrong with him—her Slayer senses weren't quite at the screaming stage yet, but they were definitely on alert. She wondered if it had something to do with the drug she'd read the Initiative was feeding its soldiers.

Riley could still be useful to her, however, and she felt only slight regret over her decision to take advantage of him.

"Come on, Riley, how long have you been living in Sunnydale?" she asked him, wondering why he was pretending not to have recognized her as the Slayer. "Two days? I've been attacked before, so I've taken some self-defense classes. Well, more than a few. Just doing what I can to help keep the community safe. You can call me the Good Samaritan of Sunnydale."

Riley pursed his lips and folded his arms across his chest, giving her a glare she found quite pathetic. Compared to the evil she'd faced before, he was no more threatening than a silly puppy. "Look, I know Sunnydale is like the center for weird occurrences, but somehow I don't think that a few karate lessons would give you the strength and agility to fight those demons like you did. These lessons also wouldn't have helped you recover so quickly. I've watched you, Buffy, and the next day, you weren't even sore. I was a walking bruise for three whole days, and you didn't even chip a nail."

"I happen to like my nails unchipped," she said. He was either not fessing up to knowing what she was, or he really didn't know. Either way, she wasn't about to give anything away. "I make a habit of trying not to chip them when I kick demon ass."

"Buffy!" Riley called out, exasperated. Before he could say anything more, however, the Amy-rat behind him started squealing, and the ground began to shake beneath their feet. Operating on what seemed like instinct—or excellent military training—he grabbed her arm and pushed her under the doorway of her closet.

Buffy allowed him to move her, knowing that it was indeed the safest place in the room to ride out the earthquake.

"Wow!" He sounded elated. "That was some ride."

Buffy raised a brow. Was he really that dumb?

She was certain now that he didn't recognize her as the Slayer—if he even knew what a Slayer was— but he also didn't recognize the quake for what it was, not even seemed concerned of what it _could_ mean. That didn't say much in favor of him having any kind of brains. She sighed. Maybe Riley wasn't that much of a lead after all.

"Sorry," he said, looking sheepish again but still smiling. "I'm just a little excited. This is my first earthquake."

"Not mine." It had been still early the first time the earth shook that day, Buffy thought. He could have slept over, she supposed, though it gave him another plus in the stupid and clueless column. Either way, it was best she didn't say anything more. Better that he—and his superiors—remain as much in the dark as was possible. "We done here? I've got classes to attend today."

At her pointed look, Riley released her arm and stepped away. "Yeah, um, I guess."

He walked to the door and opened it but didn't walk out. Instead, he glanced at her again. Sighing when he could read nothing in her face, he walked through the door and closed it behind him.

Buffy waited until she heard Riley's footsteps grow distant before she made to move away from the door. She wanted to do some research but was honestly stumped at where she should start other than looking for information regarding earthquakes. This being southern California, earthquakes were really not that rare. This being Sunnydale, the center of "if it could go wrong, it would, and in the worst possible way," meant that, although the quake probably meant an apocalypse, there were plenty of ways to go about ending the world.

Buffy let her thoughts drift for a little while she went about the room, picking things up and putting them back in their place. She needed to come up with a plan of what to do next. She had an impending apocalypse to avert, the Initiative messing with forces they probably knew very little about, and her friends—if she could even call them that anymore—thinking she was slacking and betraying them.

Having decided nothing regarding her friends, Buffy just finished preparing her notebooks for her afternoon classes when Willow walked in the door.

"Hey! I was in the library during the quake, almost got buried under some nineteenth-century literature." Going straight to the desk, Willow placed the laptop she carried on it, picked up the fallen pencil holder, and dropped her bag on the chair next to the desk. Then, smiling, she turned to Buffy. "And I don't have to tell you how hard it is to dig through some of that stuff. All okay here?"

Buffy nodded, not really shocked at Willow's casual approach. "Yes. A couple of broken knickknacks, but no biggie."

This was how Willow—and Xander, and lately, Giles, too—had acted after an argument. They simply assumed that they were right, that Buffy was in the wrong, and that she would fix things according to what they told her. Having grown tired of trying to change that, Buffy found that it was easier to just play along. Pushing her true emotions back, she held on to a mask of cheer or calm—depending on what the occasion called for—and pretended that everything was just fine and dandy.

"Well, Porter dorm is completely blacked out," Willow continued, content that Buffy was back to normal this morning. She really hated fighting with her best friend, even if she knew that they were right and Buffy was wrong. "So, naturally, they're dealing with the crisis the only way the now how—Aftershock Party."

"Ah, this from the dorm that brought us the 'Somebody Sneezed' party and the 'Day That Ends in Y' party." Buffy allowed the cynicism to infuse her tone.

"They do seem to be pretty generous with the milestones. Hey, you should ask Riley to come!" Willow smiled again, excited at her idea. "Much carousing by flattering candle light."

Buffy looked away from the redhead as she rolled her eyes. "Ah, Riley is—ah-hmm, busy. I'm pretty sure." _Damn it,_ she scolded herself, _is that the best you can do? Riley is busy?_ "But you know, you go ahead, and I'll—I'll catch up with you there. I'm on my way for a little Giles one-on-one."

"It's ok. I'm taking Tara. You can join us there." Willow hoped Buffy didn't mind the company. Then something else registered. "You're going to Giles? Anything wrong?" She wondered if this was Slayer-related, or if Buffy simply wanted to apologize to her Watcher for her recent behavior. Willow herself has already forgiven her friend, understanding that the latter was probably letting Angel-related issues cloud her judgement, as usual.

"Wrong? No, nothing's wrong. Not at all." Buffy offered her roommate a smile and slid out of the room.

She had absolutely no intention of going to Giles. She knew exactly what he would say. First, he would offer her sympathy for her lingering pain over Angel, thought he didn't understand why she couldn't simply get over the demon that had tortured him and killed his lover. Then, Giles would sternly remind her of her duties and try to keep himself from lecturing her too much on the matter. Lastly, he would listen to her explaining about the earthquake and tell her that this was southern California and that it meant nothing without there being any further signs of an apocalypse, which they didn't have.

Since she knew that there was nothing new she could say regarding the first issue and that Giles wouldn't believe anything she said regarding the second, this only left asking for his help in researching the apocalypse. Having already come to the conclusion that there was very little to go by without more signs, Buffy saw no point in going through the emotional pain of speaking to her Watcher.

Sharing none of her afternoon classes with Willow had turned out to be a blessing for Buffy. She had no need to compete and to appear to be losing against the smartest member of the Scooby Gang. Having accelerated her studies, Buffy was going to have to declare her major at the beginning of her next semester—assuming she lived long enough to finish this one—and she was wondering what she'd like. It was too bad that Professor Welsh was teaching the Psychology course and that Willow shared it with her, Buffy thought. She truly enjoyed figuring people out. Much less the earie vibes she got from the professor or the unhidden competition with Willow. Knowing now that the professor was also involved in the higher ranks of the Initiative only added to Buffy's dislike of the class.

As Buffy entered the classroom for the first class of the afternoon, she wondered if there was anyone she could contact who had a good enough knowledge of computer hacking to help her find out more regarding the Initiative. Just before the professor began the lecture, Buffy recalled someone she'd met a long time ago but hadn't kept in touch with. She made a silent note in her mind to call him and see if he was interested in giving her a hand. Not only was that person very much tech-savvy, he also knew his way around an axe and could be trusted to keep a secret.

Feeling somewhat better, Buffy pushed all Slayer-related thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on her class.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 06**

_Los Angeles_

After finishing their dinner, the members of Angel Investigations packed what books they thought could be useful and headed out. The sun had finally finished its journey across the sky and was gradually disappearing behind the horizon as they all piled inside Angel's convertible.

Angel could feel Angelus' elation as the distance between them and Sunnydale grew shorter. He had to admit that he mirrored the emotion perfectly, even if it was paired with more than a little trepidation at the prospect of seeing her again. He had given brief thought to not letting her know he was in town, for which Cordelia—and Angelus, not surprisingly—nearly bit his head off.

"It was just a passing thought," he had tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, right." Cordelia huffed. "Didn't know you to be a coward."

"I am not."

 _Want to revise that, boyo?_ Angelus asked. _I seem to remember that it was you who ran with his tail between his legs from his own mate, or am I growing senile in my dotage?_

Angel had no better answer for his demon other than correcting him on the tail between his legs comment, and that was a battle lost before it even started.

"I'm not going to ask you what your problem is," Cordelia said, "because I think I can easily guess. I will tell you, though, that if you tried sneaking in and out of town and saving the day without letting Buffy know, things would end badly. She will find out that you were there probably before you were even two miles out of town. Besides, I'd put money on her catching you stalking her within an hour after arriving, anyway."

 _She probably would_ _,_ Angelus agreed.

"And she will kick your ass for it!" Cordelia finished.

"We can start by going to Giles," Wesley suggested. "He might also have some information regarding the doctors from Cordelia's first vision."

"He might," Angel agreed.

Cordelia silently wondered what seeing her old friends would be like. She had no doubt that both Willow and Xander would be hanging around Giles' place with an apocalypse around the corner. She'd changed so much since leaving that one-Starbucks-town. What would they think?

Then she cursed. Why did she care what they thought? Their opinions no longer counted. She glanced at Angel and Wesley in the front of the car and smiled. She had real friends now, ones who offered a helping hand and didn't hold things against her. Friends who had already proven they'd risk their lives to save hers. The Sunnydale gang—sans Buffy—would have gladly fed her to the wolves if it meant they got some benefit from it. She had to admit that she couldn't really blame them for not liking her all that much, though. Back in high school, she wasn't a very likeable person. She took a deep breath and decided that she would give them all another chance and put her past opinions about them aside. If she could change, so could they.

Instead, Cordelia thought back to her conversation with Wesley. He had been researching different ways to bind Angel's soul for weeks now, but all he was able to find was that the Kalderash clan was nearly extinct and that their magicks have long since been lost. He had also visited with several different witches, as well as done some digging on his own, and everything pointed toward the curse being something that could not be altered. If anyone attempted to change the curse—like Wesley thought that Jenny Calendar had tried to do when she translated it—the spirit of the original spell-caster would possess them and ensure that the curse wasn't altered.

Cordelia remembered seeing Willow overcome or taken over by something when she'd cursed Angel, and she had to agree with Wesley's conclusions. This meant that they needed to find a different way to do this.

They would find a way, Cordelia promised herself. She hated seeing this Angel. He wasn't just moody or brooding as she'd tried to tell herself. He was mourning the loss of his soulmate, and it was getting worse. She could almost pinpoint the exact day when things turned from bad to worse—the night after he escorted that Silly actress, Rebecca, to some kind of reception. Cordelia wondered what was it about the actress that had struck Angel so badly and, though she couldn't think of anything, she was certain that something had happened during that night that had caused Angel to withdraw even further into his pain.

She'd asked Wesley if he thought this trip to Sunnydale would cause Angel to spiral further out of control, and he agreed that it was a possibility. He believed that it might be a good thing, though, theorizing that seeing Buffy might serve Angel as a reminder of why he should continue fighting the good fight.

In the heavy-hanging silence of the car, Cordelia knew that it was much too late to question the wisdom of going to Sunnydale. Plus, it wasn't like she could talk Angel out of it. When Buffy's life were in danger—and Cordelia had no doubt that this was definitely the case—Angel would always be the first to jump in her defense.

Angel sighed. Cordelia didn't really know why he thought about avoiding seeing Buffy, and she could never guess. First, she knew nothing about Buffy's new boyfriend, Parker—the name itself caused Angel to want to growl—and second, Cordelia knew nothing of the day that had to be taken back. It was both too painful and too treasured in his mind to be shared with anyone.

_How about sharing it with Buffy? Angelus suggested, again showing uncharacteristic concern for her._

_I wish she remembered because the memories are so sweet,_ Angel answered truthfully. _At the same time, I don't want to bring her any more pain, which would be inevitable if she knew we've had a chance and had to give it up._

 _I understand,_ Angelus said quietly.

There was something going on with his demon, Angel decided. This made him think about the fact that his demon was with him in the first place. The first time he'd been cursed, Angelus was almost completely absent. He was definitely not speaking to Angel nor could Angel feel his presence like he could these days.

He wondered what could have caused the change.

 _It wasn't the curse, that's for sure,_ Angelus interfered. _I read what that gypsy was translating on her computer, and it had nothing to do with me, only you. Plus, you and I both know that magicks as old as this would have some safeguards against people messing with it._

Angel agreed. He had made some quiet inquiries into his curse several times since he'd gotten back from his not-so-brief trip to Hell. Everything he'd been able to learn pointed toward the same conclusion.

 _But how come I didn't hear you while I was in Hell?_ Angel wondered _._

Angelus shrugged _. No clue. Though let me tell you, I was definitely there with you and that fucking trip was no picnic._

_You were the one trying to bring it forth. Serves you right to be stuck there with me._

Angel could feel Angelus trying very hard not to think something out loud, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. _You couldn't break her. You knew you couldn't make her submit to you or overpower her long enough to turn her, and you couldn't handle the feelings she made you experience, so you tried to end the world. God, and you call me an idiot!_

 _Shut up!_ Angelus roared. _Just shut your mouth!_

 _Not speaking here._ Angel smirked to himself. That was the true reason why Angelus didn't kill any of Buffy's friends. Jenny posed a direct threat to Angelus, so he killed her in what was essentially self-defense, but Angelus couldn't bring himself to harm Buffy's friends or family because that would have hurt her. And despite all his talk about hurting the Slayer, Angel knew that Angelus couldn't do that.

 _Wouldn't have minded killing that clown, Xander,_ Angelus said, feeling more than a little pissed. _He wasn't important enough to bother with, is all._

Angel found himself agreeing with that statement. On the theoretical level. The young teen was always jealous and never ceased trying to come between him and Buffy. Angel wouldn't have wanted another death on his conscious, but if Angelus had killed Xander, he thought that he probably wouldn't have felt as guilty about it as he had about the other deaths he'd been responsible for.

 _You'd have thrown a party if I got the job done._ Angelus smirked. _Admit it._

_You wouldn't have killed him. It would have hurt her, and you didn't want nor could bring yourself to hurt her. You were as much in love with her then as you are now, as we both are and forever will be._

_No, I wasn't, and I'm not in love with her now. Fuck it, I'm done talking to you,_ Angelus said, and Angel knew that his words had hit the target.

It didn't help him with the mystery of Angelus' presence, though. He couldn't pinpoint exactly when he'd first started feeling his demon on a more conscious level, but he felt that it was important that he was. He wondered if he should ask Wesley about that. He knew that the former Watcher was probably the only person other than Cordelia who wouldn't run screaming at the revelation. Everyone in Sunnydale were so traumatized by his demon that they would look for the nearest stake instead of helping him. He knew that Buffy wouldn't run for the stake, but he had to admit that he wasn't sure how she would react. She was, after all, the person his demon had hurt the most.

Cordelia wouldn't have the knowledge, but she would listen and offer help, despite being just as fearful of Angelus as the others were.

Wesley might know something, though, but did Angel trust him enough?

_So, not so forgiving after all, huh, boyo?_

_I thought you were done talking to me,_ Angel said, though he wasn't really surprised. Angelus took every opportunity he had to laugh at his expense.

 _I have forgiven him, Angelus._ And with that, Angel had his answer. He did trust Wesley. The young man had done a lot of changing since first arriving in Sunnydale, and he wasn't the same person now.

Angel glanced at the rearview mirror and saw that Cordelia was taking a catnap, so he decided to ask Wesley now rather than postponing it.

"Wesley?"

"Yes, Angel?"

"There's something I've wanted to discuss with you," Angel began, wondering how to phrase things right. "I…"

Wesley watched Angel run his fingers through his hair and struggle with his words. He didn't speak, sensing that this was something important and that he shouldn't interfere.

"What I'm about to tell you should be kept between us," Angel finally said. Seeing Wesley glance back, he corrected, "I don't mind Cordelia knowing, but thought I'd run things by you first."

"Okay."

"You know that I've been cursed twice, right?" At Wesley's nod, he continued, "The first time around, I was confused for a long time, but although the memory of what Angelus has done while he was in control was very vivid, I didn't hear him inside my head."

"That makes sense," Wesley said, using the same quiet tone as Angel was. He was glad that Angel chose to confide in him, felt honored at being trusted so much. "When your soul was pushed back into the body, the demon was chained and silenced by the curse so it couldn't corrupt the soul and stop it from suffering."

Angel turned to look at Wesley with surprise bordering on shock.

"I've studied your curse." Wesley tried to sound confident, but he knew that he appeared sheepish and guilty.

"I'm glad you did," Angel said. "The thing is, Wes, the second time is different."

"Different? You mean the curse was different?" Wesley wondered if he'd missed something after all.

Angel shook his head. "I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to alter the original curse. No, the curse itself was the same. The difference is with Angelus..."

Wesley tensed.

"I can feel him, hear him inside my head."

"Are you worried that he's about to be released?"

"No, no," Angel was quick to reassure.

 _Wish I was,_ Angelus grumbled. _And once I'm out, I'll make damn sure no one ever finds that fucking curse again!_

"Angelus is definitely just as chained now as he was the last time. The difference is that he is no longer silenced."

Now Wesley appeared to be fascinated. "You mean that you can speak to him?"

"Yes, and he can answer." Angel wondered if his words would make Wesley think he'd lost his mind.

 _Pretty sure he already thinks that._ Angelus snickered. _I know I do._

 _For different reasons,_ Angel reminded him.

 _Damn right, for different reasons._ And just like that Angelus was back to being infuriated. _Only an insane and extremely stupid motherfucker would walk away from his mate and let her take another into her bed. She should be worshiping our body, not spreading her thighs for some worthless blood-bag!_

Leaving Angelus to his rant, Angel said, "It's very much akin to having another person living inside my head."

"Hmm." Wesley appeared thoughtful, though he kept a watchful eye on the vampire beside him.

"And now you're wondering if I've gone out my mind." Angel sighed. "I'm not. I'm perfectly sane."

Angelus snorted. _That's debatable._

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Wesley said. "I just thought… Well, it takes amazing strength to do this."

"Do what?"

"Live with such remorse and guilt, for starters, but more than that." Wesley allowed himself a small smile. "You're living with a demon that no doubt tries to tempt you at every moment, and yet you resist him. You fight the good fight and help people." Then Wesley laughed. "I bet that pisses Angelus off."

"You're right on that point. You should hear—" Shaking his head, Angel cut himself off when Angelus came up with a particularly gruesome way of deporting Wesley out of this world. "No, you probably shouldn't hear what he's thinking right now."

Wesley felt a chill run down his spine. "No, I definitely don't envy you his thoughts and company. Tell me about how and when you realized this difference?"

Angel continued to tell Wesley how, ever since coming back from Hell, he'd felt the demon more than he should have. It had taken time for the whispers to start on top of that. "It wasn't until I moved here, though, that I began having actual conversations with him instead of just hearing whispers."

 _Liar,_ Angelus accused, but he was smirking.

Angel sighed. "No, that's actually not quite true."

This had Angelus shutting up.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when Faith poisoned me?"

"Yes, and the Council refused to help. Buffy…" Wesley trailed off as understanding sparked. "It was Buffy's blood that was the final push that released Angelus from his silence."

Not surprised at the speed with which Wesley had made the connection, Angel nodded. "Since then, Angelus has been loud and clear. I haven't been able to find out why that is."

 _You mean you never looked into it,_ Angelus corrected. _You're too afraid of the answers._

 _Not anymore._ "I need to know why. I'm fairly certain that it doesn't mean that the chains holding him back are weak, but I don't know what it does mean."

Wesley gave it some thought. "You are quite unique, I must say. I know of no other vampires who have had their souls return after their turning, so there is little history can offer us. I can only offer speculation."

"Offer away," Angel said. "I don't have anything more concrete myself."

"Well, the Slayer's blood is known to be very powerful," Wesley began, his tone reminding Angel a little of Giles when he shared his findings with the teenagers. "The clearing of thoughts and ability to converse with Angelus could be attributed to that, but…considering the timing, I don't think that this is what initiated his appearance."

"Makes sense."

"I think it must go back to your time in Hell." Wesley hesitated before asking his next question. "I don't suppose you remember how long you've been there."

 _Eternity._ Angel sighed. "I lost count after the first fifty years, but I suppose no less than a century had gone by before I was pulled out."

Wesley nodded, expecting something like that. He knew time flowed differently in other dimensions. "I think that Acathla's dimension, like many other Hell dimensions, isn't a hospitable environment to souls. Demons have no problem there, but souls will be ripped apart."

"Yeah, I know," Angel murmured.

"I expect that you do. Better than anyone," Wesley agreed quietly. "I've read reports about how you were when you came back…"

"Animalistic," Angel supplied when the Watcher trailed off. "Barely aware of anything but the most basic instincts."

"According to everything I know about Hell dimensions, your soul shouldn't have survived your stay there. It should have been torn apart and obliterated while the demon inside you thrived. I think that if you hadn't had a demon inside you already, you'd have had one shoved inside your body. Perhaps it was attempted regardless."

"It definitely didn't return with me."

"No, it wouldn't have been able to survive in the atmosphere of this dimension. You see, when Acathla was prophesied to take a breath and bring Hell on Earth, the prophecy said that his coming would swallow the sun and turn the sky red. With Acathla dormant and unable to bring about those changes, if a demon from that dimension attempted to return with you, it would have died within moments of arriving here."

Angel shuddered at the thought of brining another demon with him. His own was bad enough to deal with.

_Ah, I'm almost hurt._

"I think that because that dimension is favorable to demons, the one you arrived with also got something of a power boost. When you got back, it could probably have gone either way." Wesley offered an apologetic smile to Angel. "Your soul was weak and broken, and your demon was stronger," he explained.

"So why didn't Angelus break free?" Angel wondered. He was more concerned than he wanted Wes to know about this piece of news. What he remembered from his first days back was fragmented at best, but the knowledge that he was close to losing his soul and releasing his demon once again were disconcerting to say the least.

"I suspect it was Buffy," Wesley said truthfully. "The curse probably was what stopped your soul from slipping into oblivion the moment you returned with a stronger Angelus, but Buffy was your anchor and strength both while you were in Hell and when you came back."

"I owe her more than I thought," Angel said quietly, looking at the road ahead of him. He was only a few miles away from Sunnydale now, and he could almost feel the empty place inside him start to fill.

 _We all do_ , Wesley thought. "Your soul was able to prevail, but Angelus was still trapped inside your body. Him being stronger probably allowed him to break through whatever barrier that was previously holding him silent."

 _Wonder if there's a way to shut you up,_ Angel thought.

 _Oh, come on._ Angelus tried to sound offended. _What would you do with no one to point out the error of your ways? With no one to call you an idiot when you're being one?_

 _With no one to annoy the hell out of me when all I want is some peace and quiet?_ Angel suggested.

 _Pfft. You'll get that once you're dead and dusted,_ Angelus said. _And seeing as I plan to keep this fabulous body of ours away from the pointy ends of stakes, the deadly rays of the sun, and any and all decapitation hazards… Well, let's just say I'm planning for us to be around for a very long time._

_Yeah, figured as much._

Angelus laughed. _Admit it, boyo, you'll be bored out of your mind without me to talk to._

_Yeah, you're really taking one for the team here._

_What team are you talking about, asshole?_ Angelus immediately turned on him. _I'm a solo player, and you know it. I'll get rid of you in a flash as soon as I can find a way to do it._

Angel hid a smile. Perhaps having his demon around was not so bad sometimes. The mercurial mood swings were definitely keeping him on his toes.

_See? Told ya you like me._

Shaking his head, Angel decided not to answer that.

"So, what is our game plan?" asked Cordelia from the backseat. She woke up a few minutes ago and saw them passing by a sign that indicated Sunnydale was only fifteen miles away. "Where are we going to first?"

Wesley looked back. "Morning, sleepyhead. Nice hair."

"Shove it, Watcher boy." She gave him a glare, and he laughed. "I'm not ready to do battle before I've had at least one decent cup of coffee."

"We'll stop on the way and get you a cup," Angel promised. "I think first we should go to the mansion and unpack. Then I'd like to call Giles and see if they've come across any Vahrall demons."

"We should also see if he knows where the Word of Valios is located," Wesley added.

"You sure Giles is the best place to start?" Cordelia asked.

Wesley appeared puzzled. "Why not?"

She shrugged. "Well, I got this feeling that Giles and the two Stooges aren't on the best of terms with Buffy at the moment."

Wesley appeared even more baffled than before.

"Cordelia tried calling Sunnydale after her first vision," Angel explained. "Giles didn't pick up, and Willow was spewing something about keeping Buffy away from me."

"But Buffy wasn't anywhere near you."

"That's right, Wesley, but Willow went on and on about how they were trying to do what I told them to do." Cordelia smiled at his confusion. "Seeing as that was the first time I picked up the phone to call the Sunnydale Stooges since leaving that hell-hole, I decided something weird was going on and that I should wait and see what it was before I said anything else."

"Something weird is definitely going on," Wesley agreed. "Do you think she was lying to you?"

She shook her head. "I think they were all very happy to jump the 'let's diss Buffy for any Angel-related issue' train at the first opportunity."

"Willow isn't one to lie," Angel added, changing lanes to exit the highway toward Sunnydale. "So either someone lied to her that Cordelia had made that call, or someone pretending to be Cordelia called."

"You think it's demon-related?" Wesley asked hopefully. From what he remembered form his brief stay on the Hellmouth, the Slayer had a very tight relationship with Giles and her friends. He'd admired—and slightly envied—their loyalty to each other. Cordelia's words had him wondering how he could have misjudged the situation.

"Don't know." Cordelia shrugged. "Don't think so."

"Angel?" Wesley turned to look at him, seeing that he wasn't as quick to dismiss the possibility.

"I was just thinking… One of the reasons Buffy survived as long as she did as a Slayer is that she has very close ties to her friends and her family," Angel said. "It would take a very smart demon to see this, but if he could cause a tear in the group, he would stand a greater chance of besting her."

 _You mean if I were the one behind this,_ Angelus corrected. _Don't think there's any demon alive who knows the Slayer as well as we do, and you wouldn't dare come between the Slayer and her friends. Or her mother, that stupid bitch. Still can't believe you let her get to you like that!_

Angel ignored the insults that followed that statement. Angelus had been furious at the woman for her words, but Angel took them to heart.

"I think there is only one demon who knows Buffy that well," Cordelia said, her tone softening.

Wesley turned back to look at her and saw her watching Angel. "Angelus?"

She nodded.

"He's not the only one," Angel corrected. "You're forgetting Spike."

 _Spike?_ Angelus scoffed. _That idiot couldn't find his own ass with a map and a ten-minute head start._

 _He's been watching her for months, remember?_ Angel thought about several different altercations they've had with his grandchilde. _He knows her well enough to know that her friends mean a lot to her._

"William the Bloody," Wesley murmured. "Yes, I remember him."

 _Not as well as I do, Watcher-boy._ Angelus was seething. _I sure hope you're right, Angel, because I would just love me some alone time with the wayward son of mine._

 _Grandson, technically,_ Angel corrected, though he shared some of the desire for revenge.

_Nah, you don't have the balls for that. You'd just stake him and be done with it. I will make him last for a very long while before I let him have the mercy of death._

Angel believed him. A part of him actually agreed. Those hours of torture were recent enough to still be etched in his memory. He'd faced worse in Hell, but those memories had a chance to fade somewhat. Spike's delight at his pain was still raw enough for him to want revenge.

"Spike?" Cordelia scoffed. "Isn't he the love-sick idiot that can't tie his own shoes without someone to guide him through the process?"

"You shouldn't underestimate him," Wesley cautioned. "Spike has gained the nickname Slayer of Slayers for a reason."

"Though I can understand why you're saying what you're saying, Cordelia, I do think we should err on the side of caution." Angel made a turn, slowing the car down as he entered city limits. "We're only twenty minutes away from the mansion. Should be there soon."

"Which leads us back to the question of where to next," Wesley reminded them. "We're going to need to know how much they know."

"I have an idea." Cordelia brightened up, but Wesley found that he didn't particularly like the spark she had in her eyes. "Wes, you call Giles from the mansion. Pretend that you're in L.A. and tell him that I had a vision about a demon coming to open the Hellmouth. See if that rings any bells. In the meantime, I call Buffy's house and see if she's in. If her mother picks up, I can say that I'm a friend from L.A. and give her some fake name. If Buffy's in or if she's the one who picks up the phone, I'll tell her the same and ask if she could meet us at the mansion."

"Sounds like a plan," Angel said. "You should probably not mention my being here, though. I don't think she'll want to come if she knows—"

"Get over yourself, Angel." Cordelia's tone turned sharp. "Buffy's the Slayer. She knows how to push her feelings aside when an apocalypse is at the door."

"Yeah, that she does," Angel murmured. He had firsthand account of Buffy's bravery and ability to put the world before her own needs.

_Thinking about that short trip to Hell again, are we? Well, I ain't planning on a repeat, so let's not mention us to Buffy while she's within reach of pointy objects._

_Scared of the Slayer, Angelus?_ It was Angel's turn to mock.

 _I'm not afraid of her, but I ain't stupid, either._ Angelus growled. _She just might stake your ass for what you've been putting her through these last six months._

Aloud, Angel said, "I think it would be for the best if you didn't mention me unless she asked."

Cordelia sighed. "Fine. Have it your way."

"Here's a question, though," Wesley said. "What are we going to do to stop the Vahrall demon from opening the Hellmouth?"

"We'll figure it out as we go along." Angel shrugged.

Cordelia chuckled. "Look at you with the flippant attitude."

Angel rolled his eyes at her. "What I meant was that we'll research more once we settle down."

"Yeah, yeah, I was just messin' with ya."

"We could be wrong, you know," Wesley interjected. "Giles and Buffy's friends might have already settled this and are working on preventing this apocalypse as we speak."

"Didn't think you to be the eternal optimist, Wes." Cordelia raised a brow at him, even though he wasn't looking at her and didn't see it.

"I'm not," he defended. "I'm just saying we shouldn't rule that out as an option."

"Speaking of options, there's only one for a decent cup of coffee in this town," Cordelia said. "Take the next left, Angel."

Angel smiled as he glanced at Wesley when the Watcher made to object. "I did promise the lady a cup, Wes. It would probably also be a good idea to get something to eat and shop for some supplies while we're at it. I had the mansion cleaned, but there's no food there."

Wesley sighed and nodded in agreement. It would probably be a long night, and he wanted to stock up on some tea. _You could take the boy out of the British Isles, but you can't take the British Isles out of the boy._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 07**

Xander stopped in the middle of the street when he caught sight of a familiar figure slipping into a dark alley. He felt his rage boil inside him as recognition hit him a moment later.

Angel.

So he _was_ in Sunnydale now. Probably looking for one of two things—Buffy or trouble. Xander cursed. He decided to follow Angel and quickly crossed the street. As soon as he walked up to the mouth of the alley, he knew that it was a lost cause. The alley was too dark for him to see anything.

Sighing, he turned around and walked back toward the lighted street. He had dinner plans with Anya, and he didn't want to be late. She'd been complaining that he wasn't taking her anywhere lately and said that it was because he was ashamed of her. Halfway to her place, he paused. He should probably talk to Giles and let him know that Angel was in town first. Xander glanced at his watch and decided that he had just enough time to drop by Giles', give him the news, and still make it in time for dinner with Anya.

As he made his way toward the Watcher's apartment, Xander wondered if Angel was Angelus already or not. He didn't think either should have been spared the stake, but he was smart enough to know that dealing with Angelus would be that much more dangerous than dealing with his souled counterpart.

Xander hadn't wanted to believe Buffy was seeing Angel again, not at first. He trusted Buffy, and even though he'd gotten over his crush on her—he had Anya now—he still cared for her as a friend. He wanted to believe that she knew better than that, but…

Xander sighed inwardly.

Buffy had lied to them before when it came to seeing Angel, so he knew her capable and willing. She would never lie about anything else to her friends, but when it came to Angel…Buffy just didn't see clearly. It didn't surprise Xander that she'd tried to deny it this time. They hadn't reacted well the last time she'd hidden Angel, so she was probably even less thrilled at telling them all she lied again.

Xander wished they could do more regarding Angel. His preferred method would have been a stake through the heart and be done with it. Having seen Buffy's reaction when others—such as Faith and Drusilla, to name a few—had threatened Angel's life left a lasting impression. It was enough for Xander to know that if he wanted Angel dusted, he would have to make sure it looked like an accident or that it could be blamed on another demon.

As Xander approached his destination, he heard something breaking and a very familiar voice utter a pain-filled groan.

Giles was being attacked!

Xander broke into a run, his heart beating frantically in his chest as fear and adrenaline coursed through his veins. The lock on the front door was broken, he noted. Then, he heard glass shatter and Giles grunt in pain. Pushing through the door as quickly as he could, Xander looked up in time to see the back of a large figure in a long black coat slip through the broken window of Giles' living room.

"Giles!" he called out. _That coat looked familiar…_ "Giles, are you okay?"

A moan from behind the sofa caught his attention, and Xander quickly made his way around it. He found Giles with a split lip on the carpet.

"Xander." Giles groaned again as he sat up.

"What happened?" Xander asked as he helped him lean against the sofa.

"Something…attacked me," Giles said slowly. He held his hand across his chest, taking slow breaths as he tried to decide if his ribs were broken or just severely bruised. "I came back from the shop. Saw that the front door was broken. Next thing I remember is pain and darkness."

Xander watched as the older man gingerly checked his head and winced. "It knocked you out."

"Yeah, I woke up on the floor." He struggled to stand on his feet. "I don't think that whatever had attacked me was too careful when it dragged me in and tossed me behind the couch."

"Did you get a chance to see what it was?"

Giles shook his head and winced again as pain erupted at the movement. "No. I don't think it was human, though. Too strong for that. I got the impression of yellow eyes and dark attire."

"Angel," Xander muttered through clenched teeth as he suddenly realized why the black coat of the escaping attacker looked familiar. He'd seen Angel wear the same coat as he disappeared into the alley earlier. Yellow eyes definitely screamed vampire, and Angel was the only one Xander knew to have been invited into Giles' home.

"Angel?" Willow asked from the doorway. "What did he do this time?"

"This!" Xander said, gesturing around them.

"I don't think we should jump into conclusions," Giles tried to say.

"No jumping," Xander said. "I saw the devil earlier in town. I was actually on my way over here to give you the heads up. Angel was wearing the same black coat when I saw him earlier as the one I saw on your attacker before he jumped out of the window. Yellow eyes and growling screams vampire, and—"

"And Angel is the only vampire who's ever been invited in," Willow said, her eyes widening in alarm. "Oh, God, Giles!"

"I'll live." He tried to smile reassuringly but grimaced when his split lip protested. "I'm okay, really. It's only a small bump on the head."

Rushing over to him, Willow helped Giles to the couch. "Why would Angel attack Giles? And why would he escape before, you know, finishing the job?"

"Don't know, don't care," Xander said. "I've had it with Angel. I say it's time to stake first and ask questions later."

At that moment, Buffy ran through the open door. Having noticed the busted lock, she was ready to fight as soon as she cleared the threshold. "Giles!" she cried out when she saw his face. "What happened?"

"What happened is your honey felt like a snack!" Xander snapped, glaring at her.

Buffy took a step back in shock. "What?"

"We don't know it was Angel," Giles said. " _Something_ attacked me as I came in. I think that I've interrupted its search."

"Search for what?" Buffy asked, looking around at the upturned furniture and the broken glass on the carpet. "And why would you think it was Angel? I've told you he hasn't been in town since Graduation!"

"Wrong again, Buff." Xander stood up and approached her. "I saw mister tall, dark, and vampy tainting the street not fifteen minutes ago."

Buffy felt as though she'd been physically struck. She paled and nearly took a step back. "Angel's in town?"

"Yeah, and it didn't take him long to do just what I told you he'd do—go after your friends!"

"Xander," Willow called out. "Like Giles said, let's not jump to conclusions. Plus, I need to tell you about the body I found."

"Body?" Buffy turned to look at the redhead, deciding it was a safer topic of conversation. Her heart was beating frantically inside her chest at the mere idea of Angel being back in town. "Where?"

"At the party," Willow said. "You remember the party at the Porter dorm? The one you said you'd meet me at? Where were you by the way?"

"Slaying," Buffy said. "Came across a vamp. Bastard was strong, nearly knocked me out, but I staked him. I came here thinking I might be able to find out more about the earthquakes." She decided not to mention that she'd hoped nobody would be in.

"Oh." Willow lost her steam.

"You said you found a body?" Giles prompted. He didn't like Angel all that much, that was true, but having the kids—well, Xander, mostly—chomping at the bit to go after the centuries' old vampire was not a good idea. Giles remembered very well how close he had come to dying when he tried his own hand at revenge against the demon after Jenny's death. Xander was more likely to get himself killed than anything else. Besides, Giles reminded himself firmly, there was _no proof_ that it was Angel who had attacked him tonight.

"Yes." Willow nodded and handed Giles a napkin with a drawing on it. "He—the dead guy—was propped up like whoever killed him wanted to drain his blood, and there was this symbol carved on his chest."

"Kind of looks like the CBS logo," Xander commented. He would have made some kind of joke, but he wasn't in a joking mood. He would find a way to dust Angel this time.

"Looks like a big creepy eye to me," Willow said. "Though it also looks kinda familiar, too."

Buffy nodded in agreement. She felt that she'd seen this symbol before, perhaps even recently, but she couldn't pinpoint it. "Giles?"

"Hmm…" Giles turned around and gently moved toward one of the trunks to the side of his sofa. He grimaced with the pain that the movement caused him, but he cursed when he saw that the trunk had been ransacked. Just to make sure, he took out the box in which he'd held small artifacts and opened it to make sure the one he had in mind was missing. "Oh, as usual, dear."

"Giles, what is it?" Buffy asked. She really didn't like his expression.

"It's the end of the world."

"Again?" all three of them asked at the same time.

"No, no, it can't be," Willow protested. "We've done this already."

"I'm afraid so," Giles said. "The drained body, the earthquake, and now the missing talisman—which is what I suspect the demon that broke in came to find—they all point toward an apocalypse."

"Talisman?" Willow asked.

He nodded. "The Word of Valios. It's a talisman that I've purchased it in a sorcerer's estate sale. To be honest, I thought it was a fake."

"So what do we do?" Willow asked, wishing Tara were there. She'd left her girlfriend at the dorms after finding the body, not sure how her friends would react. She'd dated Oz before, so they had no reason of suspecting she was attracted to women. Soon, she promised herself. She would tell them all about Tara soon.

"I stop it," Buffy said. She walked over to the armchair and table, which had been knocked over, righted them, and then proceeded to Giles' weapons cabinet. She picked up a crossbow and began loading it with bolts.

"Good," Willow said. "In the meantime, Xander and I can take Giles to the hospital to check that his ribs aren't broken."

"My ribs aren't broken!" Giles protested. "I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Humor us," Buffy said. "I'll call if I find anything."

Xander watched as Buffy turned and walked out of the front door. "I say we find Angel and shove a stake through his heart."

"Xander." Giles gave the young man a stern look.

Willow shook her head. "Xander…."

"Fine!" Xander threw his hands in the air. "You don't want to listen, fine, but don't expect me not to say I told you so when he comes in and kills us all."

The phone rang before anyone could answer Xander. Giles picked it up. "Hello? Wesley? I'm surprised to hear from you. What? Yes, we've just come to that conclusion ourselves. How did you—? Oh, Cordelia. I didn't know… Yes, there was an earthquake earlier this morning. Also, a body was found with a symbol of an eye inside a triangle carved into its chest tonight. Did Cordelia see anything else? No? Okay. Let us know if you find anything else. Okay. Bye."

Xander and Willow looked at him expectantly.

"That was Wesley," Giles said. "He said that Cordelia saw the earthquake—"

"Saw?" Xander asked, cutting in.

Giles nodded. "Apparently, she gets visions from the Powers that Be."

"The Powers that Be…what?" Xander asked.

"They are the force that guides the good in the battle against evil," Giles explained. "Wesley said that Cordelia got a warning about an apocalypse coming up and asked if we've been able to make any progress."

"He wasn't able to offer you anything more?" Willow asked. "Like when and how to stop it."

Giles shook his head. "Only that Cordelia said it felt close."

"Okay, then we start with taking you to the hospital to check those ribs, and then there's a night session of research to be done," Willow said.

"I don't need the—"

"This is my resolved face," Willow cut him off.

"Come on, G-man," Xander said, knowing the nickname would annoy the Watcher and distract him. "It'll be faster if you comply. You'll be back with your books in no time. Plus, while you're there, I can fix the lock for you and perhaps even do something about the broken window."

Seeing that he was not going to talk them out of taking him to the hospital, Giles sighed. "Okay, let's go. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back."

"That's the spirit." Willow smiled in approval and led him to the front door. "See you in a bit, Xan."

"See ya." Xander walked after them and crouched at the door to look at the busted lock. He'd make a trip to Home Depot and get a new one. It wouldn't be too hard to install it. He'd always been good at handy jobs such as this one, and since moving into the basement, there had been plenty of opportunities for him to practice. His parents hadn't done much to keep the room up.

Before leaving, Xander made a quick call to Anya to update her on everything that happened. Their dinner date would have be postponed to another night. He offered her to come over and help but knew, even before she declined, that she wouldn't want to. Anya wasn't one for research, and she made it perfectly clear that she expected him to make up for missing their date. Sighing, Xander ended the call and made a mental note to get her something nice tomorrow to appease her.

While he was making a trip to the hardware store, Xander decided to take a small detour before going back to the Watcher's apartment. It would be a good idea to see where Angel was staying while he was in town. The vampire had a history with wanting to end the world, and he was smart enough to know that Giles had the talisman necessary. All Xander needed was some way to prove that Angel was behind this.

o.O.o

"Knew I saw that symbol somewhere before. Where else? The place where I spend most of my waking hours, memorizing the stuff on the sides of mausoleums." Buffy stood before one of said mausoleums, which had a carving of a triangle with an eye inside it. It was very much like the one Willow had drawn on the napkin. "Big cereal boxes of death," she muttered.

A sound from inside the structure had her raising her crossbow. She crept up to the entrance and peeked through the trellises of the door leading inside. She saw a green demon in some kind of armor snooping inside one of the graves.

 _Wonderful_ , she thought, _a grave-robbing demon. Hadn't seen one of those in a while._

In fact, the last time she recalled dealing with a grave-robbing—or mausoleum-robbing—demon was when she'd caught Spike trying to find something he called the Gem of Amara. He'd failed to find it, and Buffy had a good time laughing at his expense in the process. _Can't blame me for laughing,_ she thought. Spike had been dating Harmony. Harmony! That girl's last brain cell died of loneliness years ago. What on earth did Spike find in her? Well, she wasn't doing much better herself in the love department, she reminded herself. Her own soulmate…

Cutting short that particular train of thought, Buffy aimed her crossbow and fired. She hit the demon in the shoulder, and the green creature roared in anger.

He charged at her, and she had to ditch the crossbow in favor of hand-to-hand combat.

She dodged a punch and threw one of her own. Throwing the demon over her head, she followed through with a kick to its back. It turned and punched her. She saw stars when her head collided with the wall behind her.

Buffy groaned as she tried to get her vision back into focus while, at the same time, kicking in the general direction of the demon. He caught her leg and flipped her on to a grave marker.

Out of breath and nearly blinded with the pain of the punch the demon added at the end, Buffy tried to gather her senses. It took precious few seconds for her to come to but, by then, the demon was long gone.

"Damn it!"

A shadow falling over her had her instinctively turning with a well-aimed punch.

Riley grunted when her fist connected with his stomach. "Damn, you have a mean right hook!"

"Riley! What are you doing here?" she demanded. Then she looked around, trying to see if she could find a trace of the demon that got away. "And where did it go?"

"I saw it take off toward the woods," Rile replied.

"And you just let it get away? Didn't even try to follow?" she knew she sounded exasperated. _But, come on! He should at least have some common sense, shouldn't he?_

"No weapons, no backup," Riles said, spreading his hands to the sides. "You don't go after a demon that size by yourself."

"No, _you_ don't," she agreed and took a deep breath. Her head was still tingling, and she knew that she would have a bruise across her back where she hit the grave marker.

Riley took out a portable radio and spoke into it, "Base one, this is Lilac one."

"Lilac?" Buffy made a face.

Riley held up his hand to silence her. "Confirmed sighting of an unidentified Sub-T. Mobilize patrol team for debriefing at oh-eight-hundred hours."

"Copy that," came the reply from the radio.

"Very commander-y," Buffy remarked. "Lilac notwithstanding," she corrected after a thought. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, the Good Samaritan of Sunnydale." Riley offered her a smile.

She ignored the smile and turned to pick up her crossbow. "I gotta go. Demon to catch."

"Don't sweat it." He put his hand on her shoulder. He took it off in the next moment, seeing the glare that gesture had granted him. "Don't sweat it. We'll bag it."

 _That's what I'm afraid of._ "It's not that simple."

"Where is this hostility coming from, Buffy?" he asked her. "I know you like me, and it's not like we don't have anything in common."

Buffy stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. Like him? She could barely tolerate his presence. _Could you say ignorant much?_

"Buffy, I'm thrown by this, I'm confused, but I can feel my skin humming, my hands…every inch of me. I've never been this excited about anybody before. I'm not trying to scare you, and I won't force myself on you."

 _I'd like to see you try,_ she thought, gritting her teeth. She really should have just told him to fuck off weeks ago instead of trying to lay him off easy. Hadn't she learned anything from the mess with Xander in high school?

"However, by God, I'm not going to walk away because I think it _might_ not work between us. I don't know what happened in your past—"

"Pain, death, apocalypse. None of it fun," Buffy interjected, cutting off his flow of words that made little sense to her. Where on earth did he get the idea that things might _work_ between them. _Ah, yeah, Willow_. "Do you know what a Hellmouth is? Do you have a fancy term for that one, too? Because I went to high school on top of it. For three years. We do not have that much in common. This is a job to you."

"It's not just a job," Riley defended.

"It's an adventure, great." She tried her best not to roll her eyes at him. She was getting a weird tingling sensation at the base of her spine, and with the memories this conversation was bringing up… She just wished to go somewhere to curl up and cry for a little while. "For me, it's destiny. It's something that I can't change, something that I can't escape. I'm stuck!"

"You don't _have_ to be," Riley said and placed his hands on her shoulders again. A growl had him turning around and checking if there was anything behind him. The cemetery was empty. "You're not in high school anymore, Buffy. You _can_ change things."

"Riley, no." Buffy had heard the growl as well, and she knew what it was—a vampire.

"I know it may seem—"

"Riley, I said no!" What did she have to do to make him back off? Punch him?

Before Buffy could give into temptation, she turned away from Riley. There was a vampire nearby and a demon to chase.

She just made it past the wall surrounding the cemetery before she stopped. She felt a presence nearby, and her senses told her loud and clear that this was a vampire.

It had taken Buffy a while before she returned to training herself to work with all of her senses wide open. The first time she'd done such a training session was during summer vacation, and as soon as she started, a flood of memories nearly broke her. Standing with her eyes closed in the middle of her training room at the basement of Giles' apartment reminded her of the deadly test The Council had put her through on her eighteenth birthday and Giles' part in it, his betrayal. It was the first time he'd broken her trust, and it had taken her a long while to overcome it. With the memories so painful, Buffy almost gave up on that part of her self-induced training program. In the following weeks, as the vacation ended and the semester started, Buffy found that she could push those memories aside and work on training harder.

It was during a time when she thought that, by being a better Slayer, she could regain her friends' and Giles' approval once again. She'd gotten increasingly better at recognizing the supernatural around her, be it vampire, demon, or a powerful witch.

During the first weeks of the semester, Buffy found that this training had paid off when the roommate she had been paired with—Kathy—turned out to be a demon. It had taken some time before Buffy realized why she felt her skin crawling every time she was in the same room as Kathy. Her friends were of no help, though. Willow thought Buffy was overreacting, Giles was too busy enjoying his times as a "gentleman of leisure"—whatever the hell that meant, she was never quite sure—and Xander was still away on his attempted tour around the world.

All Buffy had was her own senses, and they saved her when Kathy finally made her move. Buffy survived, but now she thought that this event must have been one of the first breaks in what used to be a solid foundation of friendship. That foundation had cracked during the events following her seventeenth birthday, but they were mending. It was only after Angel's departure and her friends' subsequent abandonment that the cracks deepened once more.

Sighing, Buffy pushed those thoughts away from her for the time being. The presence was growing closer, and as she turned, her eyes widened in shock and, despite everything, in pleasure.

_It couldn't be..._


	8. Chapter 08

**Chapter 08**

Cordelia's calls to Buffy's home and dorm room yielded nothing but answering machines, so Angel decided to try his hand at finding her himself. He needed to see her and was secretly hopeful he could do it alone, without any witnesses to complicate things up.

Angel tracked her in the second cemetery he'd checked. He was about to jump in and assist Buffy with the Vahrall demon when the young man approached her, making Angel halt in his treks. Instead of making his presence known, Angel slid back into the shadows and observed.

There had definitely been some tension between them, Angel decided and found himself growling along with Angelus at that thought. His first assumption was that the boy was Parker—the boyfriend that Spike had mentioned—but Buffy called him Riley.

 _Just how many bastards have you let our mate be with?_ Angelus demanded, his rage fueling Angel's.

 _Shut up!_ Angel growled at Angelus and then again when Riley touched Buffy's shoulders. His growl turned into a smirk when she shook the boy's hand off. _Didn't like your touch, did she, boy?_

 _Kill him!_ Angelus demanded. _Follow the son of a bitch and drain him dry! I don't care if she likes his touch or not. He touched her, and I will break his fingers for it! One by one, as he begs for mercy that will never come._

Though the idea was suddenly very appealing to Angel, he was able to restrain himself.

As Angelus continued to plot ways to torture Riley for trespassing—all the while blaming Angel for allowing it to happen in the first place—Angel listened to the conversation between Buffy and Riley. He'd gathered enough to know that while the two weren't in a relationship, Riley was definitely interested in one.

 _And you can't know that she's not interested,_ Angelus said, pissed. _She didn't make it easier for you in the beginning, either, now, did she? She might just be taking things slow. I'll whip her for this._

 _You'll do no such thing._ Angel gritted his teeth. That was one thing he swore would never happen. He would never let Angelus hurt Buffy.

 _Yeah, yeah,_ Angelus dismissed. _What are you going to do about it if she wants the soon-to-be-dead-boy?_

Angel growled at the mere notion. At the same time, he couldn't help but think that Riley was human. He could give Buffy—

 _Nothing!_ Angelus roared. _There isn't anything he could give her that I will allow him to give her! You worthless ass!_ Angelus turned on Angel. _It's all your fault that she's whoring herself with humans. We should have been here, fucking her till she couldn't walk!_

 _Well, we couldn't!_ Angel yelled back. _Fucking her would have released you, and I would never do that._

_Fuck you, Angel!_

Angel returned the sentiment as he watched Buffy walk away from the boy. He was still furious—with himself, with Angelus, with the situation, with Buffy, with the Powers…with everything.

He paused when Buffy did.

"Angel?" Buffy whispered as she turned around and found him watching her.

Angel knew that he should turn around and cool off before he spoke, but the devil—or Angelus—had his tongue.

"Thought you and soldier-boy would go on to make out right in the middle of the cemetery," Angel sneered. "I seem to recall you didn't mind doing that among the grave markers."

The soft expression in her eyes hardened instantly.

"Good thing you shook the guy off, Buff." He continued to dig his own grave, knowing this but unable to stop the words from passing his lips. "I was this close to tearing his head off."

Buffy froze. That tone of voice, that arrogance, the nickname. Her heart—what broken pieces left of it—sank. "Angelus."

"Not quite," Angel said, coming closer. He could smell the boy on her and growled. Angelus continued his gunning for Angel to torture, drain, and kill Riley. The rage of his demon was adding to the emotional turmoil Angel had been living in for months, and it pushed him over the edge. He knew he wouldn't kill the human idiot who knew nothing about what he was messing with, but he wanted to punch the guy for touching what was his, at the very least. "Been sleeping around a lot?"

Buffy didn't think that there was anything left of her heart for Angel to break. Until now.

She clenched her fists at the side of her body, her nails digging into the skin of her palms. "Go to hell!"

"Been there, done that, not looking for a repeat performance." The next moment, he realized what he had just said and some of his anger had faded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No, you never mean to anything!" she shouted and threw a punch at him. There was some satisfaction for her to see him thrown back against the stone wall. "You just drop by," she punched him again, "tear my heart out," another punch, "and disappear again."

Angel let her punch him for the third time.

 _You deserve this,_ Angelus said. Though he was still angry with Buffy, he enjoyed that Angel was getting a beating from her. The idiot was too stubborn and stupid for his mate. If he could only figure out a way to get himself rid of the stupid soul…

 _Never,_ Angel promised. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Tears staining her cheeks, Buffy turned away from him. That was just her crappy luck to end what was already a shitty day and a fucked up evening with Angel turning her inside out. _Great, could this get any worse?_

Buffy heard him approach her but didn't turn. She didn't want him to see her cry, didn't want him to know that he still wielded enough power to make her tear up.

When Angel placed his hands over her shoulder, though, she couldn't make herself shake them off as she had done with Riley's touch. Her skin tingled beneath Angel's fingers, despite there being two layers of fabric separating them.

"I know you had no choice but sending me to Acathla's dimension, and I admire you for being strong enough to do so. I just wish…"

"What?" she asked softly.

 _I wonder how many have heard her speak this softly to them,_ Angelus sneered inside his head. He fabricated several pictures of Buffy with Riley, then with Xander, and then with several other faceless men. _How many did she spread her thighs for?_

Affected by Angelus' own anger and the images his demon was showing him, Angel's fingers dug into her shoulders in anger, and he forced himself to soften his hold. Turning her to face him, he didn't see her tear-streaked face. In his mind's eye, he saw Buffy with some faceless man tangled in soft sheets, moaning and crying out in pleasure.

"How many?" he demanded.

"How many what?" Buffy looked up at him in confusion. He was making no sense. This mercurial change of subject and mood reminded her of a Christmas when The First had tried to get Angel killed. Was this happening again?

"I mean, I know about Parker, but now you have Riley…" Angel took a breath as he tried to calm himself—and Angelus—down. "How many other men have been allowed into your bed, into your body?"

Angel caught her arm before she could punch him again and used it to bring her flush against him.

"How many others have held you like this, Buffy?" he demanded. His heart was bleeding at the possible answer but, again, the devil had his tongue. "How many times have you let Parker fuck you?"

Buffy struggled in his hold and broke free with a punch into his stomach that temporarily cost Angel his breath. Though he didn't have to breathe, he needed the air to speak, and her punch had emptied his lungs.

"Bastard!" she yelled through her tears. "How can you even—?" Breaking off her question before she could complete it, Buffy pursed her lips and lunged at Angel. She punched and kicked him to the ground. Then, she stood back, her arms raised in front of her as she prepared for battle. She didn't feel the wetness of her tears on her cheeks anymore. She couldn't feel much of anything.

Angel jumped back on his feet and turned to look at her again. This time, his angry eyes were bright yellow, and his mouth contorted in a fierce growl that showed sharp fangs.

He pounced.

o.O.o

Neither one of the two ex-lovers was aware that they were being watched. Riley had followed Buffy to the wall but halted when he heard a male voice he didn't recognize. Deciding that he should listen and perhaps learn something useful, Riley ducked behind a nearby tree and strained to listen in on the on conversation.

Not thirty feet away from Riley, hiding behind one of the pillars of the cemetery wall, Xander stood. He was spying on all three. He'd been hot on Buffy's heels since sending Willow to take Giles' to the hospital, having decided that his best chance at tracking Angel would be to follow the Slayer. Xander had been certain that either Buffy would lead him straight to Angel or he would find the vampire pulling his usual stalker routine.

Not five minutes after arriving, Xander had overheard Buffy's conversation with Riley and was almost as angry as Riley had been at her reaction. _Buffy just can't see a good thing even when it's hitting her in the face._

He was certain that Riley would have made a much better choice for Buffy than the demon she panted after but, as always, she just refused to listen to reason.

After seeing her push Riley away, Xander watched with glee and self-riotous satisfaction as Angel finally made his appearance. He almost rubbed his hands in pleasure when the vampire stuck his foot in his mouth and got a Buffy-esque butt-kicking in return. He was rooting so much for the Slayer that he'd let himself forget just how dangerous her opponent could be.

When Angel turned his demon face on Buffy, Xander cursed. He heard Riley mutter something and looked to the side to see that Riley was wearing an angry expression on his face. Xander wasn't too worried about Buffy—if there was anyone who could handle Angel in a face to face battle, it was the Slayer—but he knew that she would never be able to bring herself to kill him, not _her_ _Angel._

An idea formed in his mind as he slowly made his way toward Riley. Buffy would never kill Angel, but Xander thought he had just found someone who would and—more importantly—could.

o.O.o

Riley was considering the benefits of calling for backup as he watched Buffy fight the vampire. He would be of no help if he were to jump in, armed with only his bare fists, and he knew it. Backup, however, would take time to arrive. Time, in which, Buffy would probably finish the vampire off and be on her way. He'd seen her take down those demons on Halloween and knew she had the strength to do that. His confidence wavered for a moment when she took a punch that sent her against the wall, and the vampire went for her neck.

Riley was about to move—thinking to case a distraction, perhaps—when someone grabbed his arm to stop him.

"You don't want to go in there," a young male voice said. "That will only get you killed. Besides Buffy can handle Angelus, and he's not going to kill her."

"Who are you?" Riley asked in a whisper, turning away from the fighting pair.

"Xander," Xander said, extending his other hand for a shake.

"Riley," Riley replied, automatically shaking the offered hand.

"Pleasure. Now, let's leave Buffy to her Angelus-beat-up-fest while you and I go talk some place."

"Leave her?" Riley raised a brow, wondering at the boy's odd behavior. "With that thing?"

Xander sighed. "Buffy is the Slayer." At the man's blank stare, Xander repeated, "Slay-er? She who hangs out a lot in cemeteries?" As Riley just continued to stare at him blankly, Xander sighed. _This is definitely going to take a while._ "Boy, you sure do have a lot to learn. I thought you Initiative guys knew your demons better than that."

"Initiative?" Riley tried to sound innocent. He was less than pleased that the other male possessed this kind of knowledge.

Xander gave Riley a friendly pat on his shoulder. "Just to get this over with so we can move on to talk about more important issues, yes, the Initiative. I know that you're a part of them, and that you guys are hunting demons. I've been helping Buffy do the same since we met in high school, about three years ago. Now, let's get out of here. There's a lot I need to tell you, and then there might be something you could do to help save this world once again."

"Save the world? Again" Riley parroted, deliberately sounding completely confused.

"Yeah." Xander began leading the soldier away from the cemetery as he explained, "In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone is destined to fight the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. This is usually the part Giles does, but he's taking care of some bruised ribs curtesy of a demon breaking into his apartment, so you'll have to make due with me. Now, Buffy is the Slayer, had been since she was fifteen…"

o.O.o

Angel rolled on the ground, avoiding a kick from Buffy and dishing out one of his own.

 _Nothing quite like a pissed-off Slayer,_ Angelus said almost with glee. _She's improved since the last time she kicked your butt._

 _You mean, since the last time she kicked_ your _butt,_ Angel corrected, grunting when one of Buffy's kicks caught him.

"You arrogant bastard," she called out at him. "You think you can waltz back in town and throw these stupid accusations at me, and I'll just take them?"

 _Yes,_ Angelus answered, grinning, knowing he was annoying Angel in the process.

Angel knocked her off balance and straight into the wall. "Who did you fuck, Buffy? I demand to know!"

Buffy slid away from his hold and jumped on her feet behind him. It was her turn to kick him into the wall. She followed through with another kick, but he caught her leg and threw her in the air.

She groaned as she landed on the grass beside the walkway but quickly rolled away from him and rose to stand again. "Who do you think I fucked, you bastard?"

"Well, Parker, for starters," Angel answered, watching her carefully for her next move.

"Parker?" Buffy appeared more than a little shocked. "Who on earth told you about that idiot?"

"Spike," Angel spat the name and ducked her punch. He kicked her back and then turned to her. "As the bastard was shoving hot pokers into my stomach, I admit I wasn't listening very carefully, but I remember this much."

"Spike." Buffy filed away the information regarding the torture for later. "That's one reliable source there, right? Isn't that the same reliable source that turned on you at the first convenient moment? The one that hates your guts and would do and say anything if that meant getting back at you for whatever it is he holds against you?"

Ignoring her jab at Spike being less than a reliable source—which he perfectly knew to be true—Angel said, "Answer me, damn it! I have a right to know who's been fucking my mate."

"Your _mate_?" she scoffed. "You abandoned your so-called-mate!"

Angel growled in response.

 _You sure did,_ Angelus agreed.

"Nothing is 'so called' about you being my mate!" he spat. He took a deep breath and used the pause in the fight to rein in his demon-visage. With a human face once again, he grabbed her and brought her body flush against him before she could object.

Angel knew that she could feel exactly how affected he was by her, and he liked feeling her against him very much. The fight had only heightened his arousal, which was almost a constant when it came to her.

Wrapping one hand around her, pinning her arms to her sides to keep her from rustling away form him, Angel brought the fingers of his other hand to the mark at the base of her throat. Gently, he caressed it. " _This_ gives me the right to ask. This is proof that you _are_ my mate."

This wasn't how he'd imagined their reunion, but he should have known that Buffy wouldn't simply roll over and take down a beating. She was much stronger than that, and that was one of the things he loved most about her.

 _No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away and what's left?_ Angel suddenly recalled his demon's words to Buffy, and her reply to him: _Me._

 _Gotta love a woman who can knock you out, beat you up, and fuck the soul out of you,_ Angelus remarked, and Angel found that he agreed wholeheartedly.

The fight had aroused both of them, and now that it was over, both Angel and Angelus wanted nothing more than to take their mate somewhere private and spend the next few hours showing her exactly whom she belonged to.

"This mark never faded," Angel murmured and bent down to kiss it. "That means that I've taken you and you've accepted me," he whispered against her skin, continuing to place soft kisses on her neck and throat.

Buffy cursed inwardly as she almost melted beneath his touch. Adrenaline was still pulsing though her body, but she didn't want to fight any more. No, the fire rising in her veins was now demanding a different kind of release.

It was, however, the one form of release that she knew she couldn't allow to happen between them. The knowledge colored her voice with bitterness. "Smell me, Angel. Take a deep breath and tell me who I've been sleeping with."

He did. Angel pressed his nose against his mark and breathed in deeply. He was immediately engulfed in the pure essence of his mate. There were other scents on her skin, but they were just that—skin-deep. Under the scent of her soap, shampoo, and sweat, there was nothing but her—and him. His growl of satisfaction reverberated in his chest as he began kissing the mark again, lathering the raised skin with his tongue, making love to it.

 _Spike lied. There was never anyone but me._ Angel took another gulp of air to smell the beautiful merging of her soft feminine scent and his more dominant and distinctly male scent. _No one touched her like I did. No one has been allowed inside her body but me._

Angelus purred with pleasure. _Take her. Now. God, tear off her clothes and ours and let's burry ourselves inside her body._

 _I'm not about to let you free,_ Angel replied even as his mouth continued to move over her skin, tasting her.

_Wasn't thinking about that, fucker._

Surprised to sense the sincerity of his demon, Angel halted his usual lecture.

 _I missed her too, Angel,_ Angelus said quietly.

Buffy moaned and wrapped her arms around him, allowing herself several moments of pleasure in his hold. She'd learned a lot about vampires and mating during his absence. She'd derived a certain amount of satisfaction at knowing that her scent was forever changed after he'd taken her as his mate. The change had begun when they'd made love and was completed with his biting her. Now she admitted to herself that this was why she never could and never would move on to another. She didn't want to taint that small piece of Angel that she would always carrying inside her with another's.

Buffy found her face pressed against his neck, and she had the irrational urge to bite him, mark him like he had marked her. The realization was both shocking and tantalizing.

"Mine," Angel growled against her throat, grazing the skin with his human teeth. "God help me, but you're _mine._ "

It took all of her strength to shove him away from her. "No!" she yelled, fighting to breathe against the lump in her throat. "No, Angel," she whispered, taking another step away from him. "I'm not going through this again. I'm not going to let you in and tear my heart into shreds. I can't watch you disappear into the night again. I just can't." Her voice broke.

Angel felt the crack of her voice echo in his heart. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Why are you here, Angel?" she asked in a defeated tone. "Another apocalypse?"

He nodded. "The demon you fought off earlier." Deciding to give her everything, he continued, "He and probably at least two more are going to try to open the Hellmouth. They need a talisman called the Word of Valios, the blood of a male human, the bones of a child, and some kind of sacrifice."

Buffy nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "They have all but the sacrifice, and I don't think it'll be too hard to find someone to sacrifice here in town."

Angel watched, helpless, as she took several deep breaths and then looked at him with heartbreak written all over her face.

"Thank you for the warning, though I wish…" Closing her eyes, Buffy fought to steady her voice. "I wish you would have settled for a phone call."

"Buffy, wait," he called when she turned away from him. "You can't fight this alone."

Keeping her back to him, she said, "I'm always alone, Angel."

She walked away.

 _Go after her, you fucking idiot!_ Angelus demanded when Angel remained rooted in his spot. _What are you waiting for?_

_I can't, Angelus. She's been hurt enough._

_You can't let her just go out there and get herself killed!_

Angel thought he heard something akin to panic in his demon's voice. _I'm not._

Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, Angel dialed Wesley's number. He'd been weary of the thing when Cordelia had first insisted on him getting one, but now he found it useful in calling in his backup. He wasn't about to let Buffy fight this apocalypse alone, but he needed to keep his distance until it was over. He needed to be strong enough to leave her yet again after this.

Angelus considered answering that thought but decided not to. He needed to do some thinking of his own, and soul-boy wasn't the right person to help him with it.


	9. Chapter 09

**Chapter 09**

Xander just put down the bags from Home Depot when Willow and Giles walked inside the apartment. After speaking with Riley, Xander made a stop to get some building supplies at the store and picked up his toolkit from his basement apartment. He wanted to make sure that Giles' broken window had at least been boarded until he could take measurements and order a new one.

"So, how are the ribs?" he asked Giles.

The older man frowned at Xander's cheerfulness. "Just bruised. Like I said. There was no need to drag me to the hospital."

Willow ignored his grumpiness as she helped him sit on the couch. "I'll put the kettle on for tea and see if your kitchen has the makings for some cookies."

"Nothing beats tea and cookies, eh?" Xander offered Giles another smile.

Giles sighed. He would have killed for a drink right about now, but he couldn't with the children being present. "Has anyone heard from Buffy?"

"Someone called my name?" Buffy asked from the doorway. She offered everyone a smile and knew they wouldn't see that it was only skin-deep.

Xander looked at her carefully. She was smiling as if nothing happened, and he wondered if she was really fine or if it was an act. Her face showed no traces of tears, no fear, just the usual happy Buffy. Then he reminded himself that he and Riley had left before they could hear too much of what Buffy and Angel had said to each other, and that they might have finished their fight with a make-out session for all he knew. Said make-out session could definitely be the reason for the happy Buffy they were all seeing right now.

"Hey, Buffy," Xander greeted her. "You'll be happy to know that Giles' ribs aren't broken."

"I am." She glanced around. Seeing that only Giles and Xander were around, she called, "Willow?"

"I'm making some tea and perhaps cookies as well."

"Sounds good," Buffy said. She noticed that Giles was doing his best not to wince as he tried to adjust his seat on the sofa. "Listen, could you come over? I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Not liking any of it, Xander dropped the measuring tape back in his toolbox and straightened. Willow came back from the kitchen, carrying a mug of tea. She placed it on the small table next to the couch, where Giles sat.

"We're listening," Willow said.

"I'd like for you to see if you can find a spell to close the Hellmouth," Buffy said. "Maybe not directly close it," she added quickly when she saw the astonishment on everyone's faces. "Perhaps start with a magical lock? There's got to be something you can do that would at least make it harder for demons and what-not to open the stupid Hellmouth."

Giles stared at her with surprise. "That is actually not such a bad idea, Buffy."

 _One down, two more to go,_ Buffy thought, turning to look at Willow—the important one of the remaining two.

"That's a little radical, but it might work," Willow said. "I might need…"

"What is it, Will?" Xander asked. "Whatever you need, we'll get it for you. I think we're all in for a plan that will close the Hellmouth for good."

She wringed her hands. "I might need Tara's help on this one."

"Tara?" he asked, baffled. "Who's that?"

"She's someone from the university," Buffy said before Willow could reply. She didn't know if Willow wanted everyone to know about her relationship with Tara, and Buffy didn't want to put the redhead in the spotlight, knowing how bad Willow was at lying. Also, Buffy knew firsthand just how accepting Xander was to new things. "I think you said you met her in the Wicca group?"

Willow wondered if Buffy was aware that Tara was more than her friend. Not feeling comfortable about sharing that piece of information with anyone, she simply nodded. "She's the real deal, and if we find a spell, it's better to have two witches casting it rather than one. Plus, she was with me when we found the body tonight, and she didn't freak out."

"Great." Buffy walked over to the weapons trunk and took out a few stakes. "I'll go do another swipe around town, see if I can track the demon that ran away the first time around. I'll check in with you when I'm done, and we'll see if my idea on the spell is possible, ok?"

As Willow and Xander expressed their agreement with nods, Giles said, "Be careful, Buffy. This close to an apocalypse, the demons are likely to be more volatile than usual."

"I will. Thanks." Buffy turned around and left the apartment.

Xander had to bite his tongue not to say anything before the door closed. He really wanted to tell Willow and Giles that Angel was definitely in town and that Buffy was most definitely aware of that. For once, though, he was able to keep his mouth shut. He was certain that the plan he'd come up with was the best solution to the situation and, while he was certain that Giles and Willow would agree with the end result, he wasn't sure what they'd say about the method he chose to go about achieving ending the aberration that was a Slayer mooning over a vampire.

o.O.o

Angel called himself ten kinds of a fool—Angelus added another dozen—after his encounter with Buffy at the cemetery.

 _I thought beating her up was my approach to reconciliation,_ Angelus sneered. _What happened to talking and groveling? You know, those things_ you're _supposed to be good at?_

 _Well, you were no help there, either!_ Angel growled in frustration. _If you'd shut up for five fucking minutes, I might've had a chance to—_

 _Get yourself staked?_ Angelus finished. _Cause that's what you were heading toward._

 _As the designated driver of that train, I don't think you have a right to say anything,_ Angel retorted. He knew he screwed things up, and it wasn't just Angelus' words irritating him that had caused it. It was just easier to blame his demon than it was to face his own failure. He'd been overcome with jealousy, and it had caused him to act like a…

 _Dick? Asshole? First class fucker?_ Angelus suggested.

_Yeah, something like that._

Angel sighed and cut through the woods for a shortcut back to the mansion. If he knew Buffy—and he thought he knew her well enough—she would stop to gear up and then go stop the apocalypse.

_So what are we going to do about it?_

_Help her, what else?_

_Good. Now get a move on,_ Angelus ordered.

 _What does it look like I'm doing?_ Angel asked, exasperated. _Just shut up, Angelus. For fuck's sake! Shut up and give me five minutes alone in my own head, will you?_

Angelus thought about antagonizing Angel a bit further—it had some merit as entertainment, which he severely lacked in—but he decided against it for the time being. _Fine, I'll give you a rest._

Angel was surprised but didn't want to push his luck, so he said nothing. Instead, he increased his speed and made a beeline to Crawford mansion.

"Gear up, guys," he called out as soon as he crossed the threshold. "We've got an apocalypse to stop and precious little time to do it."

Wesley was the first to appear. He was holding a shotgun in one hand and a box of ammunition in the other.

Angel raised an eyebrow but didn't object. He wasn't a fan of guns, but if Wesley felt confident enough to bring one, that was his business.

"I'm guessing you found Buffy?" Wesley asked.

Angel nodded.

"And I just bet that it was all butterflies and flowers," Cordelia said, entering the room from the direction of the kitchen. "Wasn't it?"

Angel wanted to groan aloud as Angelus snickered in his mind.

_See? I'm not the only one who knew you'd screw things up._

"Judging by Angel's expression, I'd say anything but," Wesley said.

"We don't have time for this," Angel said. He headed toward the basement where he'd kept some of his weapons collection while he was in the mansion. "I'm certain Buffy will be at the high school sooner rather than later, and I don't want the cavalry to be far behind."

"Us being the cavalry, I'm guessing?" Cordelia asked Wesley.

He nodded and flicked the shotgun closed after loading it. "Hence the heavy weaponry."

"Beats being the cannon fodder. Or the bait." She rushed to the bag of weapons they hadn't unpacked yet and drew several, handing some over to Wesley, keeping some for herself. She wasn't coming anywhere near firearms, but she wasn't too bad with sharp objects. "Wish we had time to change. I would _so_ hate for this skirt to be ruined!"

Wesley smiled, glancing at the knee-length skirt she wore. "It's a pretty skirt, I agree, but I don't think Buffy will wait while you decide which outfit you'd mind ruining the least."

Cordelia sighed heavily. "No, Miss Saves-the-World-a-Lot has to save it once again."

There wasn't any bitterness or sarcasm in her words, Wesley noted. He walked over to her and gave her a friendly pat on her shoulder. "Think about it this way, if the skirt is ruined while we save the world, you'd have a good reason to go shopping for a new one."

"You know just the way to cheer me up, Wes." Cordelia smiled at him. "There might be hope for you just yet."

Angel returned with his broadsword across his back, daggers in his boots, and several stakes on his person. "Ready?" At their nods, he turned to the door. "Let's go save the world."

o.O.o

Pleased that her plan to keep Xander, Willow, and Giles away from harm's way had worked, Buffy made her way to the wreckage that was once Sunnydale High.

She made a face at the sight of giant mayor-turned-snake bits hanging all over the crumbling walls. For a brief moment, she wondered how safe the structure was. It looked as though it could collapse at any moment. Something moved at the edge of her vision, casting all thoughts about structural integrity away from her mind.

Buffy advanced as quietly as she could through the half-destroyed corridors, hoping that she was heading in the right direction. It was much harder to recognize the way to the library now that everything was in fifty shades of charcoal gray. Eventually, she found the right door and slipped inside quietly.

She could see that something—perhaps the recent earthquakes—had caused the floor to drop in its level. Using the rubble as cover, Buffy slowly crept up to peak at the center of the room. There, she saw a hole in the ground with six demons standing around it and chanting.

 _Six against one,_ she thought, _I've faced worse odds._ She wondered where the sacrifices were. She didn't find anyone on her way to the library, nor did she see anyone else around while creeping up on the demons.

Suddenly, several men in military gear jumped the demons, shooting them with something that did little but annoy the huge creatures.

_Great. The stupid cavalry has arrived._

There was no time for strategy. Buffy fired her crossbow at the demon closest to her, preventing him from decapitating one of the idiot soldiers, and rushed over to another.

She tried to be everywhere at once, which was obviously impossible, but she had to try. When a demon threw her against the wall and, instead of finishing her off, turned away and jumped into the gap in the ground, Buffy realized that there weren't any humans waiting to be sacrificed—the demons themselves _were_ the sacrifice.

With that in mind, she ran toward the demon to her left and threw him against one of the pillars. She pushed the soldier trying to fight the demon aside before he could get himself killed or worse, start the very apocalypse she was trying to prevent.

"No!" she cried out when one of the soldiers pushed another demon into the gap. The ground started to shake and light began emanating from the gap. The crack around it widened. "You idiots!"

Telling herself that she was doing this to save them, Buffy knocked out three of the soldiers who were fighting the other four demons. She punched the demon in front, jumped to kick the two beside him, and then flipped back to distance herself from their retaliation.

The four were strong, and she found herself giving everything that she had to the fight. Punching, kicking, dodging, and using everything around her as a weapon.

A movement behind her distracted Buffy, and she took a punch to her head that caused her vision to blur for several moments.

One of the remaining soldiers used the opportunity to attack one of the demons. The latter grabbed the soldier and took him down with him, jumping into the gaping hole in the ground, causing the ground to shake once more.

"The demons are the sacrifice!" Wesley exclaimed, seeing this. Aiming carefully, he shot the demon closest to Buffy, giving her room to breathe and time for Angel to jump in and help her. The three of them had arrived a moment ago and saw that Buffy had indeed preceded them.

"Who the hell are these army guys?" Cordelia wondered from their perch above the fighting.

Wesley shrugged. "We can worry about it later." He shot the same demon again, hitting him square in the head this time, and the demon dropped to the ground, unmoving.

Angel used the distraction its death caused the other three to decapitate the nearest demon with his sword. "And then there were two."

Buffy glanced briefly at Angel. Whatever their issues were—and boy, there were plenty of those—she knew that she could always count on him in a fight.

"Take the human idiots out of here," she called up to Wesley and Cordelia as she threw one of the demons against a wall.

o.O.o

Tired and weary, Buffy stood over the body of the last of the Vahrall demons. She knew that she should go back to Giles' and see what, if anything, they came up with regarding the spell to close the Hellmouth. She knew that she should leave and avoid Angel's company until he returned to Los Angeles. She also knew that she didn't want to do either.

What she really wanted…

Buffy sighed and clamped down on that train of thought before it went any further.

Angel turned to Wesley, who just came back inside after taking the last of the soldiers who weren't dead out of the fight. "How are the soldiers you took out?"

Wesley shook his head. "We carried four. Cordy called the paramedics, but it doesn't look good."

Angel nodded. There was something about the entire situation that was bugging him, but he couldn't focus on that just yet. Instead, his eyes went to Buffy. She was standing over the crack in the floor. Her shoulders were slumped as if there was no strength left in her body. There was longer unnatural light shining from the gap in the ground, and the shaking had ceased.

"Saved the world," Buffy murmured. "Again."

He wanted to come over and hug her, just press her body against his in a silent offer of comfort, but he feared that the gesture wouldn't be welcomed.

"Buffy?"

Buffy lifted her gaze from the crack but looked at a point just above his left shoulder instead of meeting his eyes. "Thanks for your help."

"Of course," he said quietly, wishing she would look at him. At the same time, he was afraid of what he would see in her eyes if she did. "Can we give you a ride somewhere?"

Buffy shook her head. "I'm fine. Giles' isn't far from here."

Angel hesitated. They needed to talk, and not just about their relationship—if the mess he'd made of things could even still be called that—but about what was going on in Sunnydale.

"Have a safe trip back to L.A.," Buffy said and turned to pick up her crossbow. "Thanks for dropping by."

Wesley looked at the two and felt his heart clench inside him. They were absolutely miserable. He could almost feel the pain that each of them was trying to hide from the other.

"We're not going back just yet," Angel replied.

Buffy froze. "Oh?" She tried to go for blasé, but she feared she sounded as small and wounded as she felt. "What's left for you to do?"

"Buffy, I need to—"

And suddenly, she couldn't hold back the bitterness anymore. "You need to what, Angel?" she snapped. "Stay a day or two more to make sure that there's nothing left of my heart before you hightail it back to L.A.? Need a little more time to throw insults at me? Well, don't bother! I've been doing just fine without you, and I will continue to do so until whenever destiny decides it's time for me to die. Alone."

Cordelia had come in just in time to hear Buffy's words. She heard the sirens of the ambulance nearing and decided she didn't want to be around to answer questions she knew she couldn't, so she slipped back inside before the paramedics arrived. She exchanged a look with Wesley and saw that, like her, he seemed determined. She understood that Buffy's words came from deep pain and loneliness.

"No," Cordy asked. "We need to talk to you about some doctors experimenting on demons I've seen in a vision." It would be better if the request was coming from her, she decided. Also, judging by Buffy's words and Angel's expression, the last time he'd talked to the Slayer, he'd made a mess of things. "Now that the apocalypse was averted—which was the more pressing matter—we can handle that other vision. However, this being late night for us humans, we're tired and need some sleep. Can we meet up tomorrow night to go over things? I suggest the mansion, but if you prefer, we can meet at Giles' place."

Buffy met Cordelia's eyes and saw something different in them. She was more mature than the Cordelia Buffy remembered from their last meeting. Sighing, Buffy knew that she was heading toward more pain. At the same time, she also knew that she couldn't avoid it. "Fine. I'll come over to the mansion."

Cordelia nodded. She suspected that Buffy would prefer not to involve her friends if she could. "Sunset works for you?"

Buffy simply nodded and turned away.

As she disappeared from view, Angel took out the key to his car and threw them to Wesley. "Put everything in the car. If I'm not back in ten minutes, drive yourselves to the mansion."

Without waiting for an answer, Angel followed Buffy out. He caught up with her just outside the school's ruins.

Buffy sensed more than she heard him following her. For a moment, she considered running away instead of speaking to him. Then, taking a deep breath, she stopped and turned to him. "What do you want, Angel?" she asked in a voice that was both tired and defeated.

"I wanted to apologize," he said. Then, quickly, before she could respond, before he could think it over, he continued, "I was being a complete idiot, a jealous idiot, and I had no right to treat you like that. You deserve better than that."

Buffy simply stared, again focusing on a point just above his shoulder instead of meeting his eyes.

Feeling almost as defeated as she looked, Angel decided he had to just come out and say everything on his mind. He might end up with even more heartbreak at the end of it, but Buffy deserved to hear what was on his heart. "I also want to apologize for hurting you, both tonight and before. I wish there was a way I could have avoided it, but I think that the only way to do that was for you not to love me, and I can't wish for that. Buffy…please, look at me."

She looked at the ground for a moment before she met his gaze. She knew that she was too tired to hide anything, so he would see the desperation, the longing and loneliness, the fear, and most of all the pain.

Angel's heart shattered when she finally met his eyes. Everything inside him—including Angelus, surprisingly—screamed for him to wrap his arms around her in comfort, but he shouldn't. And that knowledge was enough to cause him physical pain. "I wish things were different…"

"But they aren't," she murmured.

"No, they aren't," he agreed. "I never wanted to hurt you, Buffy, but I couldn't stay. I want you so much that being around you was more temptation than either of us needed." He fisted his hands at his sides.

Buffy nodded. She still felt that temptation, knew that he was feeling it as well. It was like a living creature between them, whispering and luring, and if they gave into it…

"I can't say I'm sorry for leaving," Angel continued. "I needed to give you a chance to become stronger, and I needed a chance of my own to see what I wanted to make of myself. This is your town, your destiny, and I was using you as a crutch and a shield against living again. I also wanted to give you a chance at a normal life…"

Buffy laughed bitterly at that. "A normal life, Angel? I could never have one of those. I'm the Slayer!"

"I know."

"And that means everything _but_ a normal life!" she cried out, her vision blurring with tears. "I will probably not live long enough to celebrate my next birthday, let alone the one after that. Every moment that I don't spend sleeping, I either train, fight, or research. I _live_ in the darkness, Angel. Normal for me _is_ you."

Angel's shoulders slumped when he found that he couldn't argue with that. Even Angelus was agreeing with Buffy's words.

 _Damn right,_ he said. _She's the Slayer, you fucker. She doesn't have rainbows and butterflies in her sights. She has demons, vampires, and whatever else the Hellmouth attracts._

"I wish we didn't hurt each other so much," she said, wiping her tears from her face. "I can't thank you for leaving, but I can say that I finally understand your reasons, at least the part about temptation, and about each of us using the other as a crutch."

Unable to hold back anymore, Angel slowly closed the gap between them. He hesitated when he was but a breath away from there, but Buffy's eyes told him all he needed to know, and he wrapped his arms around her. Holding her against him was both heaven and hell.

 _We can't leave her again,_ Angelus told him. _Never_.

Angel knew he couldn't argue, not now. Perhaps he could find the strength to do so later, but not now. His mate's body was pressed against him, her scent engulfing him, and her warmth seeping into him.

Buffy brought her arms to lay at his waist. It just felt so good to be held by him again, to take comfort in his strength. She breathed in deeply, filling her lungs with his scent, and felt her body relax in a way she hadn't allowed herself to since the last time he'd held her like this. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall against his still chest and sighed in content.

"I…" his voice broke. "God, Buffy, I love you. I love you with everything that is inside me."

Burrowing deeper into his embrace, Buffy smiled sadly. "I love you too, Angel, perhaps too much for it to be good for me."

Angel closed his eyes and leaned down to kiss her on the crown of her head. He could stay like this for a small eternity, he thought.

 _Definitely eternity,_ Angelus agreed, though he was thinking of his own kind of eternity, and that was something Angel would never do.

_Besides, she needs sleep and rest right now, not us holding her up indefinitely._

_I don't mind sharing her bed tonight._ Angelus smirked. _You know I'm always up for the challenge of keeping my Slayer satisfied._

Angel tried to ignore him. "Do you need to be back tonight?" he asked Buffy in a whisper.

She shrugged. "I probably should check in with the Scooby gang. Told them I would after I finished patrolling." She gave a small chuckle at the last word. "I didn't tell them I was going to fight the demons, just that I was doing another sweep."

"Then come with us," he found himself offering, wanting to give her a safe haven for at least one night. "There are plenty of rooms in the mansion, and hot running water if you feel like taking a shower. We all have cell phones, so you can call them and check in."

Buffy knew that it wasn't the smartest thing to do—in fact, she was pretty sure that it was one of the stupidest—but she just couldn't find the strength in her to resist.

So she nodded but made no move to leave Angel's arms. "Just hold me a little longer before we have to leave."

"Anything," he breathed.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Author's Note:** _

_You, people, are totally freaking AWESOME!_

_Look what was waiting for me in the inbox today:_

_CONGRATULATIONS! The Fanatic Fanfics Multifandom Awards would like to inform you that you have been nominated in the following categories:_

_All-Time Favorite Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfic - Bring Me to Death_

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_Thank you SO MUCH for nominating me. You have no idea how awesome and humbling and amazing and incredible and just WOW this feels!_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

From a high vantage point, away from prying eyes and ears, Riley watched Angel and Buffy in amazement. They each showed almost unbelievable capabilities. He'd seen Buffy fight before, but it was never quite like this. Watching Buffy and Angel fight together was almost like watching synchronized dancing with weapons.

On Buffy's first day in the University of Sunnydale, Riley had already known where and when she was born, the names of all of the schools she'd attended, as well her grades throughout— Riley even read the accounts of one Principle Snyder regarding her years in Sunnydale High, and damn, but they were a colorful read. He knew the home and work addresses of both of her parents as well as those of her friends, including those of her former friends from L.A., and was well aware that Buffy was one of the unfortunate girls to be called as the Slayer.

Professor Welsh, Riley's commanding officer, hadn't really been very impressed with that last face. After all, the Slayer used a wooden stick to fight monsters, and she rarely made it past her eighteenth birthday if she even made it that far.

It was the Slayer's reported strength and extra senses that had caused the organization to send Riley after her. It had begun as a simple spy-and-seduce mission. Riley was to get as much information out of Buffy and her friends as he could, and if it meant taking her to his bed, he would have done so—and gladly.

The mission yielded little progress, however. Riley had been able to ascertain that Willow Rosenberg—Buffy's roommate—and one Alexander Lavelle Harris were Buffy's only friends, but he was quickly able to see that they weren't all that close—at least not on Buffy's side. There was another person of interest, a Rupert Giles, former school librarian and Buffy's Watcher, but Buffy seemed to have been keeping him at bay as well. Her mother, Joyce Summers, wasn't keeping in close touch with her daughter since said daughter moved out to the dorms, and the Slayer's father, Hank Summers, was MIA since their move to Sunnydale.

The absence of people close to Buffy meant that, when Riley's attempts at espionage and seduction yielded little useful data, The Initiative had been able to obtain and keep her for a short _visit_ to asses her without anyone becoming suspicious of her disappearance. Riley read the reports after Buffy had escaped and knew that she was definitely stronger than any of the initial intelligence had indicated.

He had still been hopeful about his chances of seducing her, despite the cold shoulder and her reaction earlier tonight when he'd attempted to persuade her to have a relationship with him. It hadn't been until Xander told him of Angel that Riley realized that he'd had competition.

The Initiative had kept good surveillance of Buffy, so Riley knew that Xander's blabbering about Buffy sneaking to Los Angeles to meet with her two-century old vampire ex was crap, but it provided the Initiative with a great scapegoat in case they needed one in the future. Riley—and Professor Welsh after he'd reported back to her—knew that Xander hadn't told him everything, and even what he did tell had been severely biased, but it was priceless information.

They immediately look up Angelus—as Xander reported the vampire to be known when he'd gone evil—and what they found was concerning to say the least. He was one of the worst demons the Initiative had record of. The Initiative had never captured any vampire who came even close to a century old, let alone one acceding two.

Even without Xander's tales of the vampire's strength, they would have been careful. Professor Welsh was certain that the behavior-modifying chip would work even on someone that old, but she was equally as certain that apprehending such an old demon would not be easy. That was where Xander's account had come into play. The vampire—and the Slayer, for that matter—had one major weakness. Each other. All the Initiative had to do was decide which they should use against the other for the best possible results.

Riley wasn't privy to his commanding officer's exact plans for the Slayer and her possibly-not-so-ex lover, but he knew not to ask useless questions. Useless questions landed one on the cancellation list, also known as cannon fodder material. Watching some of the injured members of said list being carrying away from the fight by the two unknown humans, Riley signaled for his team to stand by. Once one got on the cancellation list, there was only one way out of it. That way ended indeed in a hospital, but not on the treatment floors. Each and every one of the people sent inside the ruins of Sunnydale High was sentenced to death, and Riley's job—other than to keep surveillance on the Slayer and the vampire—was to make sure that the sentence was carried out in full.

While Angel and Buffy finished off the remaining demons, Riley's team silently took care of the cancelled members of the Initiative who hadn't had the decency to die at the hands of the demons. Their job was made easier when the two humans who'd taken them outside the wreckage had to go back inside, as they couldn't carry more than one or two people between them.

Once that business had been taken care of, Riley sent most of the team back to base. He, Forest, Graham, and Dixon remained to continue surveillance. Each had a target assigned and would be replaced come morning. The Initiative was taking no chances on this one, not with Angelus nor with the Slayer

o.O.o

Angel sensed that they were being followed as soon as he and Buffy pulled away from each other's arms. He looked down at her and saw the awareness in her expression. Nodding, he gently pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. She blinked once to show him that she understood.

He pulled out his cell phone and offered it to Buffy. "How about you get the unpleasant business out of the way before we leave?"

She took the small object from his hand and offered him a teasing smile. "Welcome to the twenty first century."

He allowed himself a chuckle. "Thanks."

Buffy braced herself and dialed Giles' number. He picked up on the second ring. "Hey, Giles. It's Buffy. Yes, everything is fine. I found the demon. Yes, it's dead. Were you able to get anything? No? Okay, thank you for looking into it. Look, Giles, I'm beat, and Mom's place is closer to me than yours is. Mind if we meet up tomorrow instead of tonight? Great. I'll see you then. Bye."

"What were they researching?" Angel asked as he took the phone back from her.

"I asked them if they could find a spell to close the Hellmouth for good," she said. "A lock of some sort, one that would pose a little more of a challenge for the next idiot trying to open it."

Angel gave it a thought. "That's not a bad idea, all in all, and I think I know something that might work."

"Really?" Buffy was impressed, though she knew she shouldn't have been surprised. Angel had years upon years to gain knowledge of all kinds. "That would be great. Now, how about we go meet up with Cordy and Wes? I think we've let them hang long enough."

Angel saw her give him a signal and nodded. He agreed with her assessment.

Silently and swiftly, they parted and disappeared into the shadows. A moment later, two grunts were heard when both Angel and Buffy found their targets. Picking up the young man he'd knocked out, Angel dragged him to where Buffy's quarry was lying face down.

"Who are these people?" he wondered.

"My guess would be the Initiative," Buffy replied. "Come on, I'll fill you all in on the way to the mansion."

"What should we do with these two?"

"Not sure." She sighed. "Too bad they're human. Wouldn't have minded torturing the information out of them."

_That's my girl,_ Angelus said with approval while Angel frowned at her words.

Angel knelt beside the two bodies and pulled the masks off their heads. "Look familiar?"

"Actually, yes," Buffy said. "Don't know their names, but I've seen them on campus. Any ID on them?"

He patted the men's pockets but found no wallets. "Nothing. The Initiative, you said?"

"Yeah, rings any bells?"

"An alarm, you might say," he murmured. "I'll tell you on the way, come on."

They left the two unconscious men where they lay and quickly joined Wesley and Cordelia in Angel's car. Upon seeing them approach, Wesley moved to the back seat, but Angel saw a smile cross the Watcher's face.

Once they were all inside, Angel started the car and pulled away. "Buffy and I came across two idiots spying on us. I suspect that there are more on our tail, so I'm going to drive around a little to see if I can spot them," he explained.

Buffy waited in silence for a few minutes, and just when she was about to remind Angel about the alarm he mentioned before, he spoke again.

"Sometime during the World War II, I was approached by a government agent who wouldn't take no for an answer," Angel began. "He wanted me to infiltrate a submarine that was stuck in the middle of enemy waters and get some papers. Since he left me no choice, I went down there. I found out that the Nazi government was doing research on vampires."

There were amazed gasps all around.

"Yes, and the agent who sent me there also seemed to want those documents."

"Figures," Buffy said with disgust. "I'm guessing those documents never made it to their hands?"

"No, they didn't. Other than the documents, the submarine held a couple of vampires on board. Long story short, I staked the vampires, burned the documents, and slipped out at the first opportunity." Angel decided that explaining how he found Spike on board of the submarine and the complication that discovery had entailed weren't essential and would take too long to explain. He wasn't proud of some of his actions aboard the submarine. "The reason I'm telling you this is that the agent who enlisted me was from a government agency that called itself the Demon Research Initiative."

"The Initiative," she said. "You think that's the same organization?"

Angel nodded, taking another turn that lead him deeper into the warehouse district of Sunnydale. He watched the mirrors carefully to see if he could spot the spy. "One and the same."

"Figured they were government," Buffy muttered.

"The Initiative?" Cordelia asked. "Care to fill us in?"

In short, emotionless sentences, Buffy told them what she'd been able to find out—that Riley was a part of the organization, that Professor Welsh was probably a high-ranking member, and that their base was somewhere beneath the university's campus. She told them about Spike's behavior-modifying chip and his escape from both the Initiative and Sunnydale. Takin a deep breath and steeling herself, Buffy told them about her kidnapping.

"That's what I've seen," Cordelia said quietly. "In my vision. I saw you on the gurney and those doctors…"

"Yeah, they weren't very friendly."

Angel glanced at her and placed his hand on her thigh, giving her an encouraging squeeze. He understood that she left some details out as well as the reason for it.

"They didn't rape me," she said quickly, knowing this would be the first thought on everyone's mind. "I stole some documents and a hard drive. They're stashed in a mausoleum at Rest Well Cemetery. The big one with the iron gates at the front. We might want to get them at some point soon." Not looking at anything but her lap, Buffy told them what she found in the records. "I returned and destroyed that lab. Couldn't take the chance that they had any vital _samples_."

Angelus was furious, and Angel had a hard time controlling his own anger on top of it.

"And your idiot friends?" Cordelia asked, her fury clear in her tone and her expression. "Where were they while those bastards treated you like a guinea pig?"

Wesley wondered the same thing, unable to believe that the tightly knit group had left their champion on her own.

"Doing whatever it is that they usually do." Buffy shrugged. Then she turned around and looked at Cordelia. "Speaking of which, can I hazard a guess and say that you didn't call Xander and ask him to keep me away from Angel?"

"No way!" Cordelia shook her head, still furious at the gang's abandonment of Buffy. Though she knew something like that must have happened—Xander was always an idiot, and Willow was his faithful puppy—she thought that Giles should have known better, but when it came to Angel… Cordelia sighed. When it came to Angel, Giles wasn't thinking straight.

"I'm guessing someone was doing their best to drive a stake between you and your friends," Wesley said.

"They didn't have to try very hard," Buffy said bitterly, turning back in her seat.

Wesley was saddened to hear that. Though Cordelia had suspected as much, he wanted to believe that things weren't as bad as she made them out to be. "I wonder if it were the Initiative's agents or someone else."

"Could be either." Buffy shrugged. "Angel, see any spies?"

"No, nothing." Angel cursed under his breath. Her friends were pissing him off more than usual. Also, he knew the government organization well enough to understand that they wouldn't settle for sending just one spy after them.

_Probably put a tracking device on the car,_ Angelus said. _I would really hate to ditch it._

"How much do they know about your calling?" Angel asked. "The Initiative, I mean."

"Riley acted all dumb about it, but from what I've read, they know I'm the Slayer. Not sure how much they know about you, though. There wasn't anything about you in any of the files I found, but I'm far from a computer whiz."

Thinking of Gunn, Angel said, "We have someone on the team who might help. I'll give him a call in the morning."

"Why are we stopping?" Cordelia asked. "We're nowhere near the mansion."

"We're taking the underground route?" Buffy guessed. "They probably put a tracking device on the car."

Angel glanced at her with approval.

Angelus smirked. _Always knew the dumb blonde thing was an act._

"I arrived to the same conclusion," Angel said. "There's an electrical tunnel that can be accessed through that warehouse."

"At least it's not the sewers," Cordelia muttered.

Both Buffy and Wesley silently agreed with her.

Angel switched off the engine. "Let's move."

"You're not worried about leaving the car here, Angel?" Wesley asked him as they all exited.

"No, I know the owner." Angel opened the trunk and pulled out the bag with their weapons. "Follow me."

"What do you mean, you know the owner?" Cordelia asked. "Who is it?"

Buffy raised a brow and then smiled. "I'm guessing Angel _is_ the owner."

Angel sighed and nodded. _No point in telling them you were the one to make the purchase._

_You mean I was the one to kill the previous owner and fake his signature on the official documents,_ Angelus corrected.

_Yeah, that's exactly what I mean._ "Through here," he said aloud.

Cordelia groaned but said nothing.

Wesley followed and came to walk beside Buffy. "Can I have a moment?" he asked quietly.

Buffy looked at him and slowed down a bit. "We'll be right with you, Angel."

Angel glanced at the two of them and nodded. He could guess that Wesley wanted a moment to make his own apologies. "Come on, Cordy. A fifteen minute walk, and you'll be back at the mansion."

"You're so not paying me enough!" she complained.

Wesley waited until Angel and Cordelia were a little farther away before he spoke again. "I wanted to say I'm sorry, Buffy, for the way I behaved the last time I was here. I was…well, the words pompous and ass come to mind."

"Yeah, arrogant, pompous, stuffy, annoying…" Buffy trailed off with a sad smile. "You were the product of your upbringing, but I think you've changed more than just your appearance."

Wesley glanced down at the black pants and dark knitted sweater he was wearing. "No tweed in sight," he tried to joke, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. "I have changed, and…" He looked at the direction where Angel and Cordelia had gone to.

"He's forgiven you," Buffy finished for him.

"He has."

"Now you have to forgive yourself," she said quietly. "I know I've said some harsh things, and I've meant them when I said them, but it's in the past now, Wes. I don't blame you, not anymore. There's nothing for me to forgive, but if it's forgiveness that you need, than you have it."

Wesley chuckled at her words.

"What?" She eyed him wearily.

"You and Angel are so alike," he said. "It's almost scary. He said the exact same thing."

She smiled sadly. "Figures."

"Buffy…" Wesley wondered if what he was going to say was out of place, but he just couldn't stand seeing the sadness in her eyes. "I…well, Cordelia, myself, and even Angel, we've all been looking into his curse."

Buffy stiffened.

"Please, just let me say this. We've found that his original curse can't be changed, but we're looking into other possibilities. Buffy…Angel loves you, probably more than he ever loved anyone else on this earth, and I know that we will do everything possible to give him the opportunity to be happy."

"Yeah…" Buffy looked away. "I know."

Wesley wished he could go to Giles and punch him at that moment. He used to look up to the man, envy him, even, but seeing the lost look on Buffy's face showed Wesley just how much the older man had failed her. "I don't know what Angel said to mess things up when he first met you, but I hope he fixed it tonight."

Smiling wryly, she said, "Yes, he did."

"Good. Now, let's move and catch up with Angel and Cordelia before we lose them."

Buffy simply nodded and began walking.

o.O.o

When all four of them were back together, Angel glanced questioningly at Buffy. She nodded once, telling him without words that everything was okay between her and Wesley. Angel gave her half a smile in response. Buffy had the kindest heart, and he never doubted that she would forgive Wesley. After all, she had forgiven him countless times for his own transgressions, and they were much worse than anything Wesley could ever do.

_Finally facing up to your shortcomings, Soul-Boy?_ Angelus teased.

_You being the biggest of them all_.

Unoffended, Angelus laughed. _Oh, I'm the biggest, all right._

Angel groaned inwardly and focused on leading the group to the mansion.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

When they arrived at the mansion, Angel and Buffy made a short check around the perimeter. As far as they could tell, there was no one around who shouldn't be there, but Angel decided to take no chances and cast a simple cloaking spell.

Recognizing some of the words he spoke, Buffy asked, "Masking us from prying eyes?"

He nodded. "And ears. I see you've been working on your Latin."

"Had a lot of time to read lately," she said with a shrug.

"It wouldn't keep any serious witch out for long, but it should cloud things up enough so that nothing useful can be heard or seen," Angel said.

Wesley decided to stay downstairs and make himself a cup of tea before retiring, and Cordelia decided to keep him company, so Angel and Buffy bid them both a good night and turned to the stairs.

"We're going to the top floor?" Buffy asked. She couldn't help but feel a little surprised that neither one of his companions said anything about her staying the night. She wondered for a moment how bad of a reaction her own friends would have had if they were around. It would range from angry shouts to chilling disappointment, she though. She pushed that particular topic to the back of her mind. They weren't around, and they had no say regarding her sleeping arrangements.

Angel nodded. "The room next to mine has an adjoining bathroom. I thought you might like to take a hot shower."

"I would," she agreed and bit her tongue before she said something stupid and impossible like inviting him to share said shower.

_Nice to see you put some of my knowledge to good use at last,_ Angelus said, referring to the spell.

_Too bad your knowledge and mine don't extend to spells anchoring a soul,_ Angel replied bitterly.

Surprising Angel once again, Angelus quietly agreed with him.

Stunned at this revelation, Angel froze in his place.

"Angel?" Buffy asked. "Everything okay?" He stood halfway up the last staircase, staring into space with a shocked expression.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He seemed to pull himself together. "Everything is fine."

"Don't lie to me, Angel," she said, gritting her teeth. "You can keep your secrets. I know I'm not entitled to know them anymore, but don't you dare lie to me."

Angel sighed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't lying. Everything _is_ fine. It's just…damn it." Threading his dingers through his hair, he made a decision. "Come inside for a moment, and I'll tell you."

Buffy followed him into his room, watching him carefully as he closed the door behind him, threw the bag of weapons in the corner, and began to pace.

Angel knew he wanted to tell her everything, leave no secrets between them. He couldn't. There was still one secret he just couldn't tell her yet, not when that day that he was forced to give back was still a raw and aching memory. He would save the telling of it to if…no, _when_ they found a solution to his curse. He wanted to be holding her when he spoke of it again, and he wanted to be able to make love to her after that. Locking those bittersweet memories in a small box at the back of his mind, he turned his thoughts to the secret he _could_ share with her.

"I was hoping to leave telling you this till later," he said. "We're both tired, and this is probably not the best time, but you asked me not to lie, and I am tired of keeping secrets between us."

"Good," Buffy said. "So spill."

He'd been considering different ways of telling her this, especially where to start, and eventually decided to start at the same place he had when he'd told Wesley. "The first time I was cursed, I remembered everything I'd done, every evil deed, every crime Angelus committed using my body," he began. "I still felt his presence, a demonic influence that I had to constantly fight, but I wasn't able to communicate with him, nor he with me.

"I spoke to Wesley about it. He theorized that—when my soul was pushed back into my body—the demon had been chained and silenced by the curse to prevent it from corrupting the soul and stop its suffering." Angel looked at the fireplace, unable to meet Buffy's eyes. "The second time around, something changed. I don't know what, but when I returned to this dimension, Angelus wasn't silenced as he was after the first time I was cursed."

"I see." Buffy's voice was completely even, reflecting no emotion.

"It took time for me to realize what was going on," Angel continued. "When I first came back, I was…confused, hurting, not really in the best frame of mind."

"I remember," she said quietly. "The First had used that to torture you."

Angel nodded, remembering how he'd been convinced that it were pure evil forces that had brought him back for the sole purpose of killing her and releasing Angelus again. "At the beginning it was mostly whispering, sometimes images coming to me in my dreams. It wasn't until I'd moved to Los Angeles that Angelus and I started to have actual conversations."

Buffy asked, "What happened in L.A. to make him more vocal?"

"It's not something that happened then." He shook his head and finally gathered the courage to turn and meet her eyes. Her expression was a considering frown, but he found no fear or disgust, so he continued. "It's something that happened here just before I left."

Angel was about to say more when Buffy's eyes lit up with understanding. Her fingers went to her throat, and he nodded. "My blood," she said. "A Slayer's blood. It caused Angelus to grow strong enough to speak to you."

"That's the best theory I could come up with. Wesley agreed that it strengthened him, but he doesn't think that this was the catalyst."

She kept her gaze steady on his. "Tell me."

"According to Wesley, and I must say the theory has merit, Acathla's Hell dimension isn't hospitable to souls."

"They are ripped apart and sewn together, only to be ripped again," Buffy murmured, thinking about everything she'd learned of Hell dimensions. "Demons thrive."

Angel nodded. "We think that because that dimension is favorable to demons, it allowed Angelus to grow stronger. When I came back… Wesley believes it was a touch and go situation."

She inhaled sharply but nodded. She recalled how wild he'd been, unable to recognize anything during those first few days after he'd been miraculously returned.

"My soul was broken," Angel whispered. "Angelus was stronger."

"So why didn't he take over?"

_Come on, Buff._ Angelus snorted. _You should know the answer to that one. Even Wesley guessed right at first attempt._

Angel just looked at her.

"Me?" she asked. "But…I was lost myself. I didn't—"

"You're my anchor, Buffy," he said. "You were the only memory I clung to while I was in Hell. You were the first person I remembered upon coming back. My soul was able to win the battle because I had you, but Angelus remained strong."

"And whatever muffle he'd had on him, he was able to break," Buffy concluded.

Angel nodded. "He's completely separated from me in the sense that he's able to hide his thoughts from me, but his emotions affect me. Part of the reason I reacted so badly before, in the cemetery, is because he was just as jealous and angry as I was, and things got out of hand."

"He is as much a part of you as you are a part of him," Buffy said summarized. She stood up and came to him. Placing her hand on his heart, she looked up into his eyes. "Wesley told me about you all looking into your curse."

Angel nodded. "I wish I had better news. Everything we learned says that the curse cannot be altered."

"I know, Wesley told me." Buffy took a deep breath and met Angel's eyes with determination. "When this issue with the Initiative is over, you and I need to have a good, long talk. I can't watch you disappear into the shadows again." Losing her courage, she looked down at her fingers still pressed over his heart. "I can't keep wondering where you are, what you're doing, or if…God, if you're still alive."

Afraid to hope but unable to stop himself, Angel pulled her into his embrace again. "I won't. I can't." He pressed her closer to him. He had to shut his eyes against the tears he could feel forming. "It's too hard, and I'm just not strong enough."

"What? What are you saying?" she asked, baffled.

He pulled away just enough to see her face, keeping her in the circle of his arms. Having her this close to him was healing the most-aching parts of his soul. He brought up his hand and gently caressed her cheek. "I love you, Buffy, forever. That will never change. I tried everything I could to hold myself back, to give you something better, but I just can't continue fighting this—fighting us."

"Oh, Angel." She closed her eyes and let the tears fall, opening them again, she met his gaze steadily. " _You_ are what is best for me. I love you just as strongly, and I don't want to continue fighting us. It won't be easy, and there's much we still have to talk about…"

"We can do it after we're done with the Initiative," he finished for her. He knew that this wasn't the time for this conversation to take place, but he couldn't stop himself from making one promise…to the both of them. "We _will_ find a way to make this work. We have to. I can't live without you. It's too painful."

"I know," she whispered. As she looked into his beautiful shining eyes, her lips formed a soft demand. "Kiss me."

He couldn't refuse her, didn't want to. Yet again, Angel and Angelus were in complete agreement as he took her lips in a hungry kiss. It was gentle at first—because his mate deserved gentleness—but she soon demanded more of him, and he answered in full. Her tongue teased his, her teeth biting down on his lip. Her whole body was pressed against him. Like liquid fire, every vein inside him was set ablaze with passion.

Both of them were aware that they couldn't have much more than this, but they couldn't have less, either. Angel walked her back until her back met the wall of his bedroom, and then he fit his body against the curves of hers.

Buffy sighed his name in encouragement. The loneliness and the pain she was constantly feeling during the past few months were seeping out of her with every touch of his lips on hers. When Angel moved to her neck, she pressed her nails into his shoulders and bit her lip to stop herself from screaming in pleasure.

"Buffy, álainn," he murmured, calling her beautiful in his native tongue.

Angelus groaned in appreciation, wishing Angel to scrape his teeth against the mark on her neck and nearly moaning himself when Angel did just that.

Buffy jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. _Just a little more,_ she told herself. _A little more, and then we'll stop._

"Angel," she whispered, barely holding back a cry when she felt him rub against her in just the right place. "Oh, God, right there." She threw her head against the wall and pleaded with him not to stop.

"Yes, baby," Angel encouraged, moving against her, pressing his hard body between her thighs. "Just like that. Let it go, let the pleasure take over." He could feel how close she was to the edge, and while he knew that he had to hold back, he wouldn't deny her this.

_God, she's beautiful like that,_ Angelus murmured, caught up in the desire. He was finally able to feel his mate, touch her. True, it was through Angel, but he would take what he could get when he could get it.

Angel reached between them, grunting as he tried to control his own passion. He didn't dare to undress her, knowing that it would be much too risky, but he wasn't going to deny her this—couldn't deny himself this, either. Slowly, he pressed his hand against the juncture of her thighs, feeling the heat radiating from her.

The small sounds she was making at the back of her throat excited him, but he held back. _This is for her, only for her._

_Yes!_ Angelus cried out. _Slide inside her pants, Angel. God, if you're not going to let me fuck her, at least let us feel her. Really feel her._

Since the demon's desire echoed his own, Angel ignored the warning signs in his head and flicked open the button on Buffy's pants, sliding the zipper down immediately after. His fingers found her panties completely soaked, and he groaned against her neck. He licked her, savoring her taste and smell, and then he pressed his open mouth to his mark and sucked. He was going to leave one more mark on her tonight, and while it would be a temporary one, he still desired it.

Angelus pushed Angel to slide his fingers under the wet fabric and touch Buffy, really touch her, for the first time in much too long. She was soft and so hot that it was almost like touching a living flame. By the time Angel realized that his actions were dictated by his demon counterpart, his fingers were already inside her.

"Oh, Angel." Buffy went taut under his touch, her breath catching in her throat.

"Come for me, a chroí," he begged, calling her his heart, for that was exactly what she was. He pressed his thumb against her most sensitive part and thrust two long digits inside her. "Gráim thú."

Buffy understood that he was speaking to her in his native tongue, telling her that he loved her. She'd heard him use those same words only once before, but she carried the memory of them—and their beautiful night together—forever in her heart.

"I love you, my Angel," she murmured between pants. She was so close, so damned close…

Angel had just enough presence of mind to capture her scream of release with his mouth to stop it from reverberating through the entire floor. It was bad enough that he'd allowed himself to lose as much control as he had. He didn't want Cordelia and Wesley bursting in and ruining it for Buffy.

He held her in his arms, kissing her gently as she came down from her high.

Angelus was screaming, frustrated, inside his head. Angel had to squeeze his eyes shut against the onslaught.

_Damn it, Angel,_ Angelus roared. _Don't leave me hanging like that! Fuck! She's ready for us, so ready. All you need is to unzip and slid inside. You want this, too. You want to be inside her. You want to feel those muscles tighten around us, squeezing our—_

Angel forced himself to shut out Angelus' words. They were much too tempting. Giving Buffy one last kiss, he pulled the zipper of her pants back up and helped her slide her legs off his waist. Catching her as her knees gave out and she almost slid all the way to the floor, he smiled when he heard her giggle. He missed the sound of true laughter coming from her.

"My legs feel like overcooked spaghetti noodles," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her upright. Lost in the passion, she forgot herself and began teasing him. "You feel hard, though."

Angel groaned when she rubbed herself against him in such a provocative way that even Angelus gave out an appreciative moan. "Buffy, my sweet temptress, please, have mercy."

Realizing what she was doing and where that could lead, she froze and paled. "I'm sorry. We can't. I know. I'm sorry. I didn't meant to tease—"

"Shh…" He pressed a finger against her lips then moved his hands to cup her cheeks. He let himself have one more kiss. "It was beautiful, and I love knowing that I can do that to you. I swear, we will find a way to make this work."

"We have to." She nodded. "These last six months have been—"

"Hell," he said. "For me too. Buffy, I can't give you what you deserve—"

Stopping him with her hand across his mouth, she smiled when he pressed a kiss to her palm. "You give me everything just by being you. I'm the Slayer, Angel," she reminded him again. "I will never have _normal_ , and I don't think I would know what to _do_ with normal. You're the only one in my world who can understand what I'm facing every night, and you're the only one who can take care of himself and not be an extra worry."

Angel briefly recalled the feeling of inadequacy he'd experienced during his short time as a human. He didn't miss it.

"You're more normal for me than any other guy," Buffy continued, seeing the struggle in his face. "You're my mate, and I'm yours."

_She's right, you know._ Angelus sounded surprisingly docile. _In our world, we're more normal for her than a puny, clueless human. Plus, we can protect her much better by being here instead of two hours away trying to save some helpless idiot._

Angel had to smile. He wasn't used to this Angelus. Perhaps something more than simply his demon growing strong was going on here. Then something she said occurred to him. "Well, technically—" Angel stopped himself before he could finish, but it was too late.

"What?" Buffy glared at him. "You better not tell me I've read wrong and a vampire can have more than one mate. If you say that you've been cheating on me and found yourself another. I will—"

Angelus smirked at the jealousy and fury in both her voice and expression. _Damn, Buff. Things would never be boring with you._

"They can't," Angel said quickly, cutting her words off before she worked herself into a serious temper. "A vampire can only have one mate, and I haven't been with anyone other than you since before the turn of the previous century. It's just that, technically, only I have marked you as mine."

Buffy stared at him with confusion for a moment before recalling what else she'd read regarding vampire mating. Understanding and something more blossomed in her eyes.

_She's figured it out._ Angelus almost purred at that.

"I have to mark you," she whispered, and he watched as her eyes went down to focus on his neck. "To complete the mating, I have to bite you."

Angel nodded. "I see you've done some reading lately." He stopped her as she leaned into him. "Wait, Buffy, don't. Not yet."

"Why not?" Fury sparked in her eyes again, turning them a beautiful shade of dark green.

Angelus took over his tongue before Angel could stop him. "Well, because when you mark me, I want to be deep inside you, making love to you until neither of us can think straight."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat. There was fire burning in his chocolate eyes. She hadn't seen such fire since before they found out about his curse, about the consequences such a fire could bring with it.

"I will probably climax the moment your teeth break skin," he whispered against her lips, unable to resist teasing her soft mouth with small bites. "Just like we both did when I gave you yours, and I want to be deep inside you when I do." Angel didn't know which of his two sides was speaking any longer. The desire was the same for both the soul and the demon. "I want to feel your muscles milk me for all I have, squeeze me so hard until it's almost painful."

Buffy was panting again. The image forming in her mind in response to his words made her go weak in the knees again, and the desire that had been previously sated was now a gnawing hunger flaring inside her. _We can't,_ she reminded herself. _Not yet,_ she added when everything inside her rebelled against the previous statement.

"I want you naked and screaming beneath me." The smirk he gave her was so sinful, Buffy moaned. "Or you could be on top, this time. I'm sure we'll enjoy both positions." He groaned. "And this is so not the right way to help us both calm down." He closed his eyes, his smirk turning wry.

"I know," she whispered. "I know."

"I better let you go to your room." He made no move to release her as he opened his eyes and looked at her hungrily. "I would offer you to sleep here, but I don't think we should risk the temptation."

She nodded. "We want each other too much." The statement was much happier than it was meant to be. After doubting herself for so long, it was an amazing boost to her confidence to know that he still wanted her as desperately as she wanted him.

"I should really let you go," he said, still not moving.

"Yeah, you should." She held his eyes, seeing more than just desire in them—longing, love, pain…

He finally stepped away, and Buffy pressed against the wall for a moment.

Deciding that a change of subject was the best course of action, he said, "I can give you a shirt to sleep in."

"Okay. Just leave it on the bed while I take a shower."

"I will." He stepped farther away and opened a door, but it wasn't the same one he'd used to come into the room. "We have a connecting door," he explained. "You can lock it from your side if you wish."

"Might have to," she said with a wry smile. "Don't want to make it too easy for me to sneak into your bed at night."

Angel allowed himself a smile at her attempt at humor. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will." Buffy turned away and walked through the door to the adjoining bedroom. She headed straight for the shower, not daring to look back at him. They'd come so close to losing control tonight, and she wasn't about to tempt either of them again. There was hope in her heart, though. It was a dangerous thing. Angel, Wesley, and Cordelia had had months to look into Angel's curse and, so far, they'd found nothing. There was no guarantee that they would find anything, and even if they did, it could take months or even years…

Buffy shook those thoughts away. She understood better now what she couldn't understand last year. She and Angel could never have a relationship without passion. Denying it only brought more problems. At least they wouldn't be fighting each other, she thought.

_This time, we'll be working together. No more secrets between us._


	12. Chapter 12

 

**Chapter 12**

_You'd better get your ass in that shower and take care of us,_ Angelus said as soon as the door closed behind Buffy. _I am NOT going to bed with another case of blue balls._

Angel sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was still painfully aroused and knew he couldn't sleep like that. There was hope inside him, though.

_Dangerous thing, hope,_ Angelus remarked bitterly.

_Yes, it is._

Angel went to his wardrobe and pulled out a silk pajama shirt. It would be huge on Buffy, reaching all the way down to her knees, probably, but imagining her in it caused his pants to grow even more painfully tight around him.

_Wish we could just fuck our mate and be done with it._ Angelus was exasperated.

_You and me both, Angelus._ Angel carried the shirt to Buffy's bedroom and left it on the bed. He could hear the sound of water running in the shower and tried very hard _not_ to imagine Buffy's naked body under the droplets of water.

_I'd just love to lick her from head to toe, suck on those pink nipples of hers._ Angelus moaned in his thoughts, bringing up wonderful images of her naked body and the way they'd worshiped it before.

_You're killing me,_ Angel complained. He locked the connecting door between the rooms before quickly undressing and heading into his own shower.

_We're already dead, Soul-Boy, so deal._ Angelus smirked then. _Turn the water really hot, and let me imagine Buffy's heat around us._

Angel did just that. Then, he finally allowed himself to sink into the fantasy his demon was weaving inside his mind. It wasn't the first time he had to take care of his desire himself. Even before her birthday, before he knew the consequences of them making love and began denying them both because of it, his make-out sessions with Buffy would sometimes leave him teased to within an inch of his sanity.

_I want to teach her to use that sweet mouth of hers for pleasure._ Angelus purred at his own idea. On their first night together, Angel hadn't been too creative or adventurous because it had been Buffy's first time, and he didn't want to scare her, but now Angelus and Angel carried the memories of that day when they—

_Fucked like bunnies_?

_Made love,_ Angel corrected.

_Whatever. That day Buffy showed you she was eager to learn._ _You didn't show her how to please us_ , Angelus complained.

Angel sighed. _I thought we had more time._

_Well, you had plenty of time to suck her lovely pussy,_ Angelus retorted, not wanting Angel's brooding to ruin the mood. He was so close to the edge that if Angel's thoughts ruined it, Angelus knew he would tear down the connecting door, burst into the shower, and finish what Angel had started.

Angel let his head fall back on the shower wall as the warm water beat against his chest. _No, Angelus, we won't interrupt her shower right now, but we can imagine what it would be like._

_The water drops on the tops of her nipples,_ Angelus thought with a groan. _I'd love to lick them and hear Buffy make that little sound at the back of her throat just before I bite down on the tips. She likes a little pain with her pleasure._

_I like that too,_ Angel said, thinking about her fingernails pressing into his shoulders. He wanted to feel those nails dig deeper, leave marks on him as he spread her legs again.

_This time with her completely naked._

_Yes, naked, wet, and tight…_

_She would be so tight. No one but us, Angel. Never._ Angelus loved the knowledge, the confirmation. He should have known Spike was a lying son of a bitch. Buffy would never betray him. _And when we're balls deep inside her, she will bite._

_Press those teeth of hers against our neck and break skin._ Angel's hand was moving fast up and down his hard shaft.

_And I will bite her in return and drink the sweetest blood ever, especially when she comes all over us._ Angelus imagined tasting her again. Warm, powerful, sweet, her blood was the best thing he'd ever tasted. The next time he did it, he would be inside her, he vowed. He would feel his mate's body accept him and take him.

Angel's face morphed as the climax neared.

_Yes, yes, yes._ Angelus encouraged. _Faster. Just a little…more…YES!_

Angel growled deep in his chest, echoing his demon's internal growl, and came.

o.O.o

Buffy heard the growl and felt the blush creep up her cheeks. She knew exactly what it meant. It was a different growl than the one Angel made when he wanted to threaten. This kind of sound he made only when they were…amorous.

She loved hearing it, for the sound would reverberate and cause a pleasurable tingle to go down her spine—as it did now.

Wrapped in a soft towel, Buffy walked out of the bathroom. She smiled at the shirt lying on the bed and quickly put it on. The tails of the silk material reached just above her knees, and the fabric was as soft as a whisper. She knew Angel would have something soft to sleep in. She'd asked him once why he was so fond of silk, both in his shirts and his sheets, teasing him for having expensive taste. Angel had told her that it was due to his skin being more sensitive to textures. As she slid between the soft sheets of the bed, she couldn't help but appreciate that sensitivity. She felt absolutely decadent wearing silk to bed.

A thought then occurred to her. If Angel's skin was so sensitive, every touch of her fingers...of her lips…every caress was that much more powerful.

Groaning, she squeezed her eyes shut. Imagining herself kissing every part of Angel's beautiful body was definitely not helping her calm down enough to go to sleep. He'd given her a mind-blowing orgasm earlier, but her body was already hungry for more.

_Bad Buffy. Very, very…_ She turned to the pillow and tried to hide her groan. _Bad Buffy._

o.O.o

Toweled dry, Angel pulled on the bottoms of the pajama set he'd left for Buffy and put them on. He didn't slide into his bed, though. Instead, he took the time to light the fireplace and stood watching the flames for several long moments.

_Are you brooding again, fucker?_ Angelus demanded. He was still feeling all nice and tingly from the orgasm and the make-out session with Buffy before that, and he certainly wasn't ready to have Angel's brooding put a damper on his good mood.

Angel sat down on the bed, his eyes still on the flames. _Time to fess up, Angelus. There's something going on with you. What is it?_

_Nothing,_ Angelus said. _Just want to bask a little, and you're killing my buzz._

Angel smiled at Angelus' barrowing of Buffy's dialect. _I know you're in love with her._

_Didn't we already have this conversation?_ Angelus rolled his eyes. _Demon, love, no mashing those two together._

_We did, and I know that you care about her. Demons do have feelings, Angelus. You might lack a conscience, but you don't lack emotion._ Angel's mental tone was soft and contained no accusation. _I can feel that something is bothering you. Tell me what it is._

_What are you, my shrink?_ Angelus snapped.

Angel chuckled. _Are you finally admitting that you need one?_

_No, but you do. You're the one hearing voices inside your head._

_I am,_ Angel admitted. He was still amazed at how easy it was for Buffy to accept that. He thought that she would be terrified or at the very least uncomfortable.

_She's always accepted you,_ Angelus said with a sigh. _Even when you hated yourself, she loved you._

_Us,_ Angel corrected. _She loves both of us._

_No, she doesn't. She hates my guts._

_She fears you, and she hates the pain you've caused her, but she doesn't hate you._ It was a hard thing for Angel to admit, even to himself, let alone to his demon.

Angelus remained quiet as he pondered that. Unlike Angel with his thoughts, Angelus could and did conceal his own thoughts from his counterpart. He could tell Angel to fuck off and deny everything, and a part of Angelus wanted to do just that. The other part, the part that missed his mate like crazy and was hurting all over, that part wanted him to do anything and everything to get her back where she belonged. That other part also wanted to believe Angel when he said that Buffy loved the demon as well as the soul.

_I want Buffy,_ he said finally.

Angel sighed. _Tell me something I don't know._

_Fine,_ Angelus snapped, annoyed with both the soul and himself for what he was about to admit to, but it couldn't be helped.

There was just so much pain he was willing to put himself through before he did something about it. And he wasn't just thinking about the pain in his groin when they got so hard that Angelus thought they'd tear whichever pair of pants they'd happened to be wearing at the time.

_I want Buffy,_ he repeated. _I want her in our life, in our bed, and the idea of having her there in chains willingly…well, that just creates all kinds of pleasurable possibilities._ Angelus smirked for a moment at the picture he was painting with his words _. So, for the sake of getting our mate back, I'm willing to compromise with you._

_Compromise?_ Angel was amazed and immediately suspicious. Angelus was famous for his cunningness. _What kind of trick are you trying to pull here, Angelus? You'd never give up on trying to get yourself free from me._

_Didn't say I was giving up,_ Angelus immediately retorted. _I'd never give up on_ _my freedom. I said compromise._

Angel decided he had nothing to lose. It wasn't as though Angelus was free to do anything Angel didn't want him to. He could listen to what the demon was offering. _I'm listening._

_Gee, thanks,_ Angelus sneered. _Just don't go out of your way and be magnanimous._

_Sorry._ Angel sighed and leaned back to lie on the bed. _It's been a long day_

_And a hard night._ Angelus chuckled. _In more ways than one._

Angel didn't argue. The shower session hadn't done much more than take the edge off. He was still half-aroused. Thinking about just how _hard_ the evening had been was not a smart thing to do, so he avoided it.

_Good to see you still have some brain cells left._

_I'm tapping into your reserves by now, no doubt_. Angel allowed himself another small smile before growing serious again. _Angelus? What kind of compromise did you have in mind?_

His demon sighed. _It's clear that you're about as willing to risk losing your soul as I am to take a bath in a tub filled with holy water, but it's also clear that you're not going to be stupid enough to leave our mate again._

_Though I do share your aversion to taking a bath of holy water, that's about right,_ Angel agreed, ignoring the insult.

_Good, but first, I want something from you,_ Angelus said. _A promise._

_I'm listening._ Angel wasn't about to agree to anything his demon was suggesting before he heard exactly what it would entail.

_Using your brains again, good for you,_ Angelus mocked. _As for that promise… I want your word that what I'm saying stays between the two of us…well, the two of us and our mate,_ he added after a moment's thought, knowing Angel would keep the promise he'd made to Buffy regarding secrets.

_I can live with that,_ Angel said. He was tense and anxious to hear what his demon had in his mind.

_You were right, and as much as I'd rather stake us both than have anyone knowing, I do…care for her. She's my mate as much as she's yours._

Angel knew he wouldn't easily get Angelus to admit that he loved Buffy, so he let it go. In a rare moment of truce between them, Angel offered a confession of his own, one that would be as hard for him to face as Angelus' admission of caring had been for him. _Yes, Buffy is as much yours as she is mine. And I think you love her as much as I do,_ he couldn't help but add.

_Perhaps._ Angelus was more willing to take a dip in the aforementioned holy-water bath than to use the L word.

Angel understood his demon's feelings, and as they were taking a break from fighting with each other—something Angel would never have thought possible—he decided to be civil. Briefly, though, Angel did wonder if Angelus would ever admit to himself, at least, that he loved their mate.

_It's...painful, to say the least, to be without her. And I think after today…_ Angelus sighed. _Well, let's just say that I've come to realize that I have a snowball's chance in hell of getting Buffy without you. I would never have her if I were the one in control._ Angelus was demon enough to admit to that. He'd seen how strong Buffy was, even while hurting because of the forced separation. If he had, somehow, managed to kick Angel out of his own body, she would kill him. Again. Broken and hurting as she was now, she would still have the strength to put the world before her own needs despite the pain it would cause her. A part of Angelus admired that strength in his mate at the same time as cursing her for it. She was still too strong to be broken completely, thus proving that she was indeed worthy of being called his mate.

_I've always told you she was strong,_ Angel reminded him.

_Yeah, you did,_ Angelus grumbled. Knowing that didn't mean that he liked having soul-boy rubbing his nose in it. He was his own demon, answering to no one. Admitting defeat, even a temporary or partial one, wasn't something he did often nor liked doing. _To cut a long story short, I wouldn't be able to have Buffy without sharing her with you._ _Even if I were to turn her._

_That's a myth,_ Angel said quickly, sitting up again. He felt like pacing, so he stood up and did just that. _One I would never let you put to the test, but a myth nonetheless._

_It's a myth for a reason,_ Angelus insisted. _Regardless, vampire or human, with her soul present, Buffy wouldn't be with me without you._

_That, I can agree with. So what do we do? What do you suggest?_

_Like I said, a compromise._ Angelus went silent then for several long moments, making Angel wonder if he would say anything more without being prompted.

Angelus knew that what he was about to suggest would be a form of suicide, and he wondered if he, a selfish creature by all accounts, was capable of being that self-sacrificing.

_Self-sacrificing is usually your turf, Angel,_ he said eventually. _I don't know if I'm capable of it myself._

_For Buffy? Sure you can._

Perhaps he could, Angelus decided, for Buffy. After all what was a mate but the extension of one's self?

_The Sorija Joining Spell could work for us,_ he said to Angel. _It's meant to summon a Sorija demon into a human body and merge the two together. With some reworking, you can use it to bind a soul and a human body instead of a demon._

_What about the side effects?_ Angel asked, sensing that there was something Angelus wasn't telling him.

_You're being smarter than I usually give you credit,_ Angelus complained. _Since you'll be trying to merge a soul into a body that already contains a demon, the result would be either banishing the demon or merging it with the soul._

Angel was stunned as he considered the spell Angelus was suggesting. _You mean that this spell could either kill you or merge you and me into one being, which is also a form of killing you. That's worse than anchoring the soul to this body. Why would you do that?_

_Because I want her,_ Angelus said simply. _As much as I hate saying it—and I will find a way to kill you if you repeat this to anyone—I want her so much that I can hardly think about anything other than having her. I can never have Buffy unless you have her too, and you won't properly have her without a solution to this fucked up curse situation._

_You're not one to quit and give up, Angelus. I know you. You're a fighter who would go down fighting._ Angel was more than a little suspicious.

_Well, I'm tired of fighting this!_ Angelus roared. _I'm tired of fighting insanity and need and pain! I want this pain to stop. The only way to stop it is to have her, and that means to have you. If you find another way for that to happen, I promise I won't stand in your way, but I don't see you making any progress._

Angel was still apprehensive, but he could relate to Angelus' motives. His own were the same. The ache inside him was driving him insane. He could continue telling himself that Buffy deserved better, but he would never again believe that. After seeing her again, seeing the pain and loneliness in her eyes, feeling her distress inside him, Angel knew he could never bring himself to leave her again.

_She already lives in the dark,_ Angelus reminded him. _Remember what she said. We ARE normal for her. And let me tell you this, I will never stand by and let another man touch what is ours. Never._

_Agreed._ Angel sighed. _I'll look into the Sorija Joining Spell, but I will do my best to find another way._

_Another way?_ Angelus scoffed. _You've been trying to do that for almost a year now, and what have you got to show for it? A fuck-load of nothing with a piss-poor attitude on top of it._

Before his demon could start raging, Angel addressed him again. _As much as I hated you before, I don't think I hate you now,_ he admitted. _I hate what you did, and I will continue to try to make amends for those actions, but I can't hate you. You're as much a part of me as I am a part of you. I think this is the real reason why you stayed alert this time around, not Acathla's demon dimension._

_Maybe,_ Angelus said, with little conviction. _Hell, I don't know why I stayed alert any more than you do._

_Regardless,_ Angel continued, _I don't think that banishing you or merging you and me into one is the solution. Hell, we don't even know if our human body will survive your banishment._

_True,_ Angelus said. _It's one of the reasons I didn't mention the spell beforehand. I don't see you coming up with anything better, though._

_I haven't._ Angel frowned. _Come to think about it, I don't remember reading about this particular spell. How is it that you're familiar with the Sorija Joining Spell, and I'm not?_

Angelus laughed then. _Having holes in your memory, boyo? Well, let me shake it up a bit: think 1789, Prussia. Big, ugly, not very bright demon calling himself the Beast. Ringing any bells?_

Angel stood in the middle of the room, stupefied. _None whatsoever._ He tried to concentrate on the memories he had from that time. It took a while before the memories of what Angelus had done in his body to come to him when he'd been cursed, but he was certain that there wasn't anything Angelus had done that Angel didn't recall. That was, after all, the whole point of the spell. Now, he was drawing a complete blank.

_Interesting. How about the Svea Priestesses?_

Angel searched his mind. _Nothing. What the hell are you talking about?_

_Damn. That curse really did a number on you, fucker._ Angelus was almost snickering. He liked knowing that there were some things that he remembered and Angel did not. _Wish I knew of more such tidbits._

_Knock it off, Angelus. Now is not the time for it._ Angel was worried. He didn't like having holes in his memory.

_Fine. I'll give you the highlights because that story's a complete bore. A big, dumb, idiot who called himself the Beast was about to be banished from this dimension. The Svea Priestesses were the ones working on the banishment, and they cast a spell to make it impossible for the Beast to touch them. He decided to try asking me for help._

_He wanted you to kill the Priestesses,_ Angel guessed. _I bet your response was colorful._

_Of course,_ Angelus said proudly. _I ain't no body's bellboy, and I told him so. He didn't like that much._ He tried not to wince at the memory of the beating that refusal got him.

Angel did wince at the images that leaked through. _Yeah, though "didn't like" is an understatement in this case, I think._

_Yeah, whatever,_ Angelus said. _Before the Beast side tracked me—_

_You mean, before it beat you within an inch of your un-life,_ Angel corrected.

— _before that, I stole a book from the Priestesses. Mostly, the spells there were junk, but one of them was the Sorija Joining._

_Wonder what those Priestesses wanted with it,_ Angel thought.

_Never mind what they wanted,_ Angelus snapped. _It matters what we want to do with it. Now get our very nice ass out of this room and find the spell. Or are you too old and want to go bed-bed?_

Ignoring the mocking tone of his demon's thoughts, Angel pulled on a fresh shirt and left his room.

_Good. You can bring in the Watcher in the morning. He might be able to help with the reworking._ Angelus was almost salivating at the possibilities that posed themselves once the spell was done and over with. _As soon as it's done, I want us to get our mate, go away where no one would bug us, and fuck her so hard neither one of us remembers our names for days._

Angel quietly chuckled at that. He could definitely relate to the desire of his demon for privacy and time. He was also feeling hopeful for the first time in much too long. _Hold your horses, Angelus. Let's see if I can even find this spell of yours._

_Then with the fucking?_

Angelus' tone was so cheerfully hopeful that Angel couldn't help laughing. _You're hopeless._

_And horny,_ Angelus agreed with a smirk. _Start with the Writings of Kaliff, he might mention the spell in the ninth or eleventh volume. Or it could have been the seventeenth one. The man did like to rattle on and on._

Angel tried not to groan. The Writings of Kaliff consisted of twenty-five volumes that were mostly the ramblings of a mad man. Angel had never had the patience or need to read through all of them, but he knew that some of the spells Kaliff had gathered into those volumes were useful. The trying part was differentiating between the spells that resulted in pain to the spell-caster and, sometimes, in embarrassment, too—as Spike had learned firsthand—and the ones that were actually useful.

_But seeing Will playing Vampire Lantern for three days before the green glow diminished was a good laugh,_ Angelus said. _Can't believe he hasn't managed to get himself killed yet._

Before Angelus could start with his desire for revenge on Spike, Angel quickly made his way to the books they'd brought over from Los Angeles. The volumes of Kaliff wouldn't be there as they were much too heavy to carry around all of them, but he thought he'd taken the index volume with him.

_The index should tell us which volume we need,_ Angel thought, _and then I can call Gunn and ask him to bring the right one over. I should also look into the Svea Priestesses and see if I might be able to find the same book Angelus had._

_Possible,_ Angelus said. _The book was gone by the time I woke up, so the Svea might have taken it back when they were done taking care of the Beast._

_They probably wouldn't be friendly enough to share the book with me,_ Angel thought with a sigh.

_You can always find where they are these days and have it stolen,_ Angelus suggested. _First, let's see what Kaliff says about this._

_Yes, let's._ Angel pulled the index out of the pile of books and began leafing through them...

* * *

_I might have had way too much fun writing Angelus in this chapter :)_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death: _The gang starts looking into this new avenue of research. Buffy meets Willow when she comes back to the dorms, but when she's caught in lie after lie, the Scoobies aren't happy and Buffy gets a chance to speak up her mind._

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	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

As the early hours of the morning rolled over Sunnydale, Angel finished his call to Lost Angeles. He'd indeed found a reference to summoning and enjoining spells in Kaliff's writings. He had to call Gunn in the wee hours of the night, but the young fighter was still awake, having just gotten back from patrol.

Seeing as almost everything Kaliff wrote was in a dialect of Arabic that few spoke these days, Angel asked Gunn to bring several of the volumes that he thought might contain what he needed.

 _He'll be here sometime after midnight,_ Angel thought. Gunn was more than happy to come over, but he needed to finish up some things in Lost Angeles before he could make the two-hour drive to Sunnydale.

 _Speaking of which, how about catching some sleep ourselves?_ Angelus asked.

"Angel? Why are you up so early in the morning?" Wesley asked, coming into the room.

"Didn't go to bed yet," Angel replied. "Had an idea that I wanted to look into before calling it a night."

The Watcher approached and looked at the notes Angel turned over to him. "Sorija? Don't think I'm familiar with the name. What is the spell about?"

"I'm not sure yet as I haven't read it myself," Angel said. "I've called Gunn, and he will bring the necessary volumes of Kaliff's Writings later today."

Wesley groaned. He'd heard about Kaliff's Writings before. "Are you sure this would be even remotely useful? Regardless of what the spell promises to do, if it's in Kaliff's…"

"I know, but it's not one of Kaliff's own spells. Tell me, have you ever heard about the Svea Priestesses?"

"Svea?" Wesley rubbed his chin, scratching the shadow of a beard. "Doesn't ring any bells, but it's still early in the morning."

"And you haven't even had your first cup of tea," Cordelia added from behind the two men. "Why on earth are you up at…" she glanced at the watch on the wall behind them, "…eight in the morning?"

"Wanted to get an early start," Wesley explained.

"And I was just heading upstairs," Angel said. "The Svea Priestesses were a clan that banished a demon by the name of The Beast from this dimension. Angelus stole a book from them, and in the brief time he had it in his possession, he read about the Sorija Joining Spell. I don't know if the clan survived till this day and, if they did, where they might be, so I tried Kaliff's Writings first as he seems to speak of the spell as well."

Cordelia groaned. "Way too early. I'm going to make myself a cup of coffee first. Wesley? Tea for you?"

"Yes, please." Though Wesley agreed with Cordelia about it being too early in the morning for serious research discussions, he could also see something in Angel's eyes that hadn't been there for a very long time—a glimmer of hope. "What is the spell supposed to do?"

"I'm not sure, but from what I remember, the spell is originally meant to summon a Sorija demon into a human body and join the two together in an inseparable way," Angel said. He'd decided not to tell them about the memory lapse. It wasn't relevant and would only cause unnecessary alarm. "I was thinking that it might be possible to rework the spell."

Wesley instantly caught on. "If it's possible for a demon to be merged into a human body, then perhaps it's possible for the soul to do the same."

"Exactly."

"What about Angelus?" the Watcher asked. "What will the spell do to him?"

"I won't know until we see the actual spell," Angel replied. "It was his idea to use it in the first place."

Stunned, Wesley could do little but stare at the souled vampire.

"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction." Angel rubbed his face. He was tired. Most of all, though, he was hopeful, and hope was so very dangerous.

 _Oh, quit being a crybaby,_ Angelus snapped at him. _You'll make it work. I know it._

 _How come?_ Angel wondered at his demon's confidence.

 _Because you're just as desperate to get into Buffy's pants as I am._ Angelus smirked.

Angel had to agree with that. "He loves her, Wes. He might never be able to say as much, but I know he does, and he's finally accepted that he won't have her without me."

Wesley nodded. "Makes sense. Okay, show me what you've been able to find so far, and I'll pick up from there."

Angel quickly summarized what he'd been able to dig up in the past hours. It wasn't much, and by the time Cordelia joined them with a cup of coffee for herself and tea for Wes, they were all on the same page. "Gunn is bringing the volumes later today. If they turn out to be useless, I'll ask him if he can find the Svea Priestesses. I don't know if they'll agree to help us, though."

"If they don't, we'll just have to steal the book from them," Cordelia said with a careless shrug. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. You go get some sleep."

"Will do. Goodnight." Angel then offered the two of them a rare smile. "Though, in your case, it's more of a good morning."

Cordelia was still staring after him as Angel turned around and left the room. "We'd better make this work, Wesley," she said. "I've never seen so much hope in him, and I don't think he could take it if we failed."

"I agree." Wesley sipped his tea. It was better than what Cordy had made him the first time. It still was a far cry from a good cup of true Earl-Gray, true, but he would take what he could get. "If this spell doesn't work out, I have a couple more we could look into."

Cordelia raised a brow, but he wasn't looking at her, so he missed it.

"Convergence rather than possession," he murmured, taking another sip. "The Etruscans wrote about becoming one with their selected spouses after their death, joining as one even before the afterlife." He stood up and went to his books, having at least three in his mind he wanted to look up.

Rolling her eyes, Cordelia finished her coffee. She could see many hours of research in her immediate future. She would do it for Angel, though. She was well over her initial crush on him—though she reserved the right to check out his ass whenever he wore his leather pants—and she wanted him to be happy. Happy Angel meant Angel having Buffy with him. For that to be possible, it meant researching a cure. "All right, give me thirty minutes, and I'll be back down, ready to hit the books."

Lifting his head from a book, Wesley smiled at her. "We're going to find an answer."

"We are," she agreed.

"See you in thirty minutes." Though he knew that it would likely take longer, Wesley didn't mind. His thoughts were already swirling with possibilities. If the Sorija spell couldn't be worked around, there were the Etruscans, the Leleges, and perhaps it was worth looking into the legends of the Basques, too...

o.O.o

Buffy met Cordelia as the latter was coming back up. She exchanged a brief greeting with the former Queen of Sunnydale High before rushing downstairs. Buffy had classes she needed to get to, and she needed to decide what to tell her friends about Angel. She knew that she couldn't hide his presence in Sunnydale despite how much she might have liked to do so, if only to avoid the very predictable reactions of her friends.

"Morning, Wes," she said. "I'm heading out to—hopefully—make it in time for my second class of the day. What are you working on? The Initiative?"

Wesley raised his eyes from the book he had been reading and offered her a smile. "Morning, Buffy. No, I'm looking into something else."

She lifted one side of the book and glanced at the title. " _Legends and Mythology of the Etruscans?_ I thought that their language was never translated." She almost smiled at his surprised expression. "I've done a lot of reading lately. So what are you looking for the Etruscans to tell you?"

"A possible cure for Angel," he said, deciding to be honest. He quickly went over the conversation he'd had with the souled vampire earlier. "Cordelia and I are going to look into this today. Could you meet us back here later?"

Buffy nodded. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest she almost worried about it cracking one of her ribs. "I'm just trying to decide what to tell Willow, Xander, and Giles about Angel and everything."

"Do you want to bring them in on it?" Wesley asked, trying to hide his reluctance. More bodies meant more research done in less time, but he really didn't like the idea of spending the evening feeling inadequate in Giles' presence.

"No!" Buffy said a little too quickly. "No, I don't want them in on this. Definitely no. I cringe just to imagine what Xander would have to say." She shuddered. "I can't, however, hide your presence in town."

"So how about you tell them that Cordelia had a vision of the apocalypse, and we all came here to help?" he suggested. "We saw the Initiative and, since Angel has some knowledge about them, we decided to stay and help with that as well. It's not that far from the truth."

Buffy considered it. "It could work. They're going to wig out regardless as soon as I mention Angel's name." She would take it, though. Her friends would have to come around. They were her friends, so they would want her to be happy. She just had to find a way for them to understand that for her to be happy meant that Angel had to be part of the package. "I'll think of something. I'm in class till four, and it might be a long conversation with the guys after that. I'll come as soon as I can. Call me if you find something beforehand." Giving him her cell number, she said, "Thank you Wesley".

"He means a lot to me too, Buffy," Wesley said quietly. "I know I still have to prove myself to you, but I am doing this for him as much as for you."

Buffy smiled sadly. It seemed as though those were the only smiles she was capable of lately. "I know. And you're doing a great job of proving yourself, Wes. I like the new you."

"Thank you. Have a good time in class."

"I will. See you later."

Wesley watched as Buffy walked out of the mansion. There was so much sadness in her, he thought and wished that this time they would be successful. The girl deserved some happiness in her darkness-filled destiny, and Angel deserved some light in his dark, guilt-ridden existence.

o.O.o

Riley watched Buffy as she made her way through the campus to her dormitory. Forest and Dixon had been found unconscious near the remains of Sunnydale High in the morning when their replacement arrived. Riley and Graham had been able to follow the car from a distance thanks to a tracking device they'd placed on it. The car stopped in the warehouse district, and when it hadn't moved in over ten minutes, they both approached. Riley sent the address to Headquarters, but the name of the company that came up didn't have any ties with either one of the people involved that they could see. He knew that the Initiative would investigate further, so he left it to the analysts and continued to investigate the warehouse itself.

Graham found several possible exits, including two sewers and an electrical tunnel. They'd spent several hours searching in each direction but found nothing. There were too many variables to predict the route Angel and his gang took. Riley was suspicious as to why they went through all the trouble of hiding, but upon hearing that Forest and Dixon were found out cold, he deduced that either Angel or Buffy had caught the men.

Riley wasn't too worried. Forest and Dixon were recovering in the infirmary and were expected to be back on active duty by the end of the day, and they hadn't carried anything that would have tipped Angel and Buffy off.

After a short downtime, which Riley used mostly to sleep, he returned and learned that the second shift tracked Buffy again, on campus grounds. The report stated that she wore the same outfit as she had the night before, so it was probable to assume she hadn't spent the night in her dorm room. Riley thought about who was seen with her last night and decided that they would have to take quick action. Angel was dangerous enough, but he'd had time to research the vampire Angelus, and both Riley and his superiors were not keen on meeting said vampire in person if that could be avoided.

"Target is in sight," he said into the small hidden mic. "Same outfit as the previous night. We might be dealing with Angelus by now."

"Good thing we have the chip," came Graham's reply. He was tailing Willow at the moment.

"We do," said Professor Welsh, who was monitoring things from her secret office on campus ground. She watched the images coming from all of the agents tracking the targets. Alexander Harris had just started his shift at the local pizza parlor. Rupert Giles remained at his house, likely recovering from the injury he sustained the previous night. The location of Angel and two-as-yet-unnamed humans remained unknown at present. "Maintain surveillance. Report again at fourteen-hundred hours."

After receiving a chorus of, "Yes, Ma'am," from all of the agents, Professor Welsh signed out and exited the secret office. She had classes to teach. If anything urgent came up, she would be paged. The plan to apprehend Angel (or Angelus, if he were indeed free by now) might have to be pushed forward, but Welsh remained optimistic about the chances of success of this particular project. There had been a small setback when the first subject escaped and subsequently caused some serious damage to one of the external laboratories, but little data had been lost. By the time the break-in had been reported, Welsh had already concluded that that particular stage of the project had failed. Buffy Summers' vandalizing the laboratory had given Welsh a perfect cover for that small failure.

Welsh had been considering other possible avenues, all of which required the cooperation—willing or otherwise, she wasn't particular on the subject—of the Summers girl, when Riley reported back the story of the vampire the stupid girl favored. Seeing as it played well into one of said avenues, Welsh began making preparations for two more special guests, as well as several plans for possible ways to procure said guests. Depending on the intel received as the day progressed, she would decide which of those plans to put into action.

o.O.o

Buffy had been dreading seeing her friends again all through the day. She'd thought of several different ways to tell them about Angel's presence in Sunnydale, different settings, but even as she stood outside the door to her own dorm room after her afternoon classes were over, she was still left without a plan.

Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, Buffy opened the door, knowing that Willow would be inside the room.

"Hey, Buffy, how was class?"

"Good." She turned to close the door behind her then walked over to her bed, dropping her bag on it. "How was yours?"

"Good, too. Ah, Buffy?" Willow bit her lip, nervous. "I'd like to ask Tara to join us tonight at Giles'. Would you mind that?"

Buffy put on a pleasant smile on her lips. "Not at all. I trust you, Will. Did you find anything interesting last night?"

"No." Willow's shoulders slumped in defeat. "There are plenty of spells on closing doors, locking stuff, but to close the Hellmouth, we'll need something more substantial."

"I see." Buffy walked to her closet. "I'm going to change before we leave, so I can patrol right after we finish at Giles."

"Okay." Willow watched Buffy as she changed her top and put on a warmer pair of pants. "Um, Buffy?"

"Yes?" Buffy said from behind the door of the closet. She was fingering Angel's leather jacket. She wanted to wear it. Even knowing the kind of reaction her friends would have to her news, or perhaps because of it, she wanted to have something of Angel's wrapped around her.

"When did you come back last night? I didn't hear you come in."

"I…ah." _Damn it._ "I came in really late." _Yeah, really late in the morning._ Cursing in her thoughts, Buffy pulled the jacket out of her closet. She needed whatever support she could get tonight. Closing the door, she started when she found Willow standing right in front of her.

"You didn't come in at all, did you?"

"Well, it was late by the time I was finished, and I didn't want to wake you." Buffy hated that she was so nervous that the lies that usually came so naturally evaded her. "I wasn't looking at the time—"

Willow decided to stop avoiding the question. Folding her arms across her chest, she asked, "Where did you sleep last night? Because I know it wasn't here."

"At home," Buffy said, this time the lie slid easily on her tongue. "I didn't feel like coming back here or to Giles. I'm sorry."

Willow waited another moment, looking into Buffy's face. "Apology accepted. And I can understand. Xander was being a little…"

"He was being a lot," Buffy murmured. She draped the jacket over her arm and stepped to the door. "Let's go. There's much I need to tell you all, and I'd rather tell everyone at once."

"Sure." Satisfied that everything was okay, Willow reverted to her usual chatter. She told Buffy about the happenings during the day, mentioning students that Buffy didn't recognize, nor care much about. Willow didn't seem to mind her best friend's silence. She was content to tell her how she was anxious about an assignment in one of her courses being a group thing, and Willow didn't like working in groups because they usually ended up with her doing the bulk of the work anyway. She spoke about how she had gotten the right answer to a trick question one of the professors asked, and how Buffy should really stop skipping that class before the semester was over and the teacher wouldn't even remember her name when he was grading.

Buffy listened absentmindedly, making the appropriate noises in the right places. She didn't bother informing Willow that she'd turned in all of the assignments for the class that she was never attending sometime in the previous month. She'd in fact had done several more for extra credit. It was the professor himself that excused her from attending. It would only hurt Willow's pride and stress her that she didn't do as well if not better.

On the way, they stopped at Tara's room to pick her up. Buffy smiled at girl, noticing how painfully shy she was. It was worse than Willow was back in high school, and she didn't think that was even possible.

"Hey, Tara, welcome aboard the crazy train," Buffy said with a gentle smile. She wished she didn't have to involve another person in the supernatural, but she knew that Tara practiced magic and was already a formidable witch. Buffy would just have to make sure that Tara was kept to the research part as much as was possible. Hopefully, that would keep her from danger.

"Th-Thank you, Buffy." Tara looked down soon after greeting the Slayer at the door. She always felt uncomfortable around new people, and she'd only met Buffy a couple of times before.

"You're welcome."

They waited for Tara to lock the door before continuing on to Giles'.

"Xander should already be there," Willow said. "I wonder if he would bring Anya with him. She's more than a little odd. She'd not attending UC Sunnydale, I checked, but I don't think she's working, either. I asked Xander once, but he didn't tell me much. Figures. He probably doesn't know much himself. I just don't understand what he sees in her…"

As Willow continued her monologue, Buffy offered a silent apology to Tara. She knew that the girls were supposedly at the beginning of a possible relationship. Buffy had actually seen the two on what was definitely a date but decided not to approach and cause an embarrassing scene. Willow was entitled to her own secrets and love life. Buffy just wished someone would offer her the same courtesy.

Tara sighed when Willow continued to rant about Xander. She accepted Buffy's silent apology with a shy smile. Tara wasn't sure what was going on between herself and the redhead, but she was certain that there had been much more than simple friendship between Willow and Xander in the past. Hearing Willow's ranting over him was more than a little uncomfortable for her. Tara had only met Xander once, and it was mostly by accident, when he'd come by to see Willow. She was certain that Willow hadn't said anything to her friends about their few dates, but the understanding in Buffy's eyes made Tara think that the latter had at least guessed something.

There was so much pain in Buffy's aura, though, that Tara wondered how it was possible for her to even attempt to smile. The pale blues and greys surrounding her were mostly concentrated around Buffy's torso, telling Tara that it was pain coming from the heart rather than from a physical source. It made her wonder who Buffy loved so much, and what could have happened to tear them apart?

"We're almost there," Buffy said quietly to Tara. "Have you met Xander and Giles before?"

"Oh, she met Xander," Willow answered for Tara. "Giles is new, but you'll like him, Tar."

Buffy cringed at the nickname, and she saw that Tara wasn't too fond of it, either.

"He used to be the librarian at our old school," Willow explained. "He's also Buffy's Watcher. Well, ex-Watcher, cause the Council fired him, but Buffy still listens to him. He's almost like a dad to her. Right, Buffy?"

"Almost," she agreed. _And just like my father, Giles is completely blind to me sometimes. At least he stayed._

Thought Buffy was beginning to wonder if that was indeed a good thing. Having seen the quiet and friendly relationship that Wesley, Cordelia, and Angel shared, despite their differences, Buffy felt even more like a failure. She hadn't been able to reconstruct her relationship with Giles or her friends, not really. She had been so lost in the pain over losing Angel that she had disappointed them over and over again. They wanted her to move on, be the Slayer, the friend, the student, when she couldn't think about much more than how to take the next breath without dying.

Giles couldn't quite forgive her for missing the demon that killed the woman he loved. Xander hated Angel regardless of the state of his soul, so he was disappointed that she couldn't see him as a demon and kill him as she had other demons.

As for Willow…

Buffy glanced at the surprisingly chatty redhead. She didn't know why she and Will had grown apart. She thought that they'd made amends when Oz left, bonded over the same pain, but Willow became more controlling after that. She seemed to think that she knew what was best for Buffy better than Buffy herself did, and Buffy was too independent to bend over for long. She allowed herself to bend as long as she could. Then, she simply distanced herself to avoid the conflict.

There was no longer avoiding it, though, she thought as they stood outside Giles' front door. Willow might have overlooked the fact that it was Angel's jacket Buffy was wearing, but Buffy had little hope that the others would miss it as well.

Willow knocked. "I really hope Anya isn't here. She never really helps in research, and I don't think that she understands the concept of tact."

"Hi," Giles said as he opened the door. "Buffy, Willow, and…?"

"She's Tara," Willow said, speaking for her again.

"Hi," Tara said in little over a whisper.

"Please, come in." Giles stepped aside to let the girls in. His eyes narrowed as he noticed Buffy's attire. The jacket was slightly too big for her. It was also a man's cut, he thought. It was only after he'd closed the door behind the girls that he realized why Buffy's jacket looked familiar. Angel's. _Calm down, Rupert,_ he told himself. _It was probably in her closet. It's a chilly night. It doesn't mean anything._

"Hey, Xander." Willow nearly skipped over to him. She stopped when she saw the person sitting next to him. "Anya."

"Hi Willow, Willow's friend." Anya examined the mousy girl next to Willow. After a moment, she dismissed her. Shy, mousy, gray, she summed up. Then she saw Buffy standing behind them and smiled. She could almost feel the vibration of nerves from the girl. _This is going to be interesting._ "Hey, Buffy. Been seeing Angel a lot lately?"

 _Here goes nothing,_ Buffy thought. "Actually, I saw him last night."

"What?!"

The word was shouted from three different people at the same time, with equal amounts of shock and disapproval.

Tara nearly jumped out of her skin at the shouting. She didn't know who Angel was, so she couldn't understand the reactions. She saw fear, pain, anger, and disappointment in nearly everyone. The only one who seemed to feel neither was Anya. Tara saw a great deal of darkness in her aura, almost completely engulfing her. There was just a tiny part of it that was lighter, and Tara saw that it was connected to Xander's aura. The two had feelings for each other, though she couldn't call them strong.

It was when she looked at Buffy's aura that she gasped. The sound was swallowed in the shouting that followed Buffy's announcement, so no one noticed it. Tara could see that just saying the name Angel had caused a change in Buffy's aura. There was even more emotional pain there—and she didn't think it was possible to carry that much hurt inside one's self and remain standing—but there was also the purest gold ribbon intertwined in the pain. Buffy loved Angel, Tara thought. She would have to see Angel's aura before she could say if it went both ways and if—as she was beginning to suspect—the two were soulmates.

Buffy remained silent for several more moments, waiting for the others to stop shouting at her. She'd been expecting this, she told herself. Giles' disappointment, Xander's anger, Willow's fear. It was all exactly as she'd imagined it would be.

It took probably something like five minutes before she got a chance to speak again. "I was at the ruins of Sunnydale High. I followed the demon I was chasing there. Angel arrived while I was fighting. He helped me finish off the demons and stop the apocalypse." She considered the pros and cons of telling them about the Initiative's soldiers that were killed. Telling them would only cause them to believe that the Initiative was indeed fighting demons. Buffy still didn't believe so. Their presence there felt more like a test. She had been certain someone had been watching her, inspecting her style of fighting. Catching the two spies later had confirmed her suspicious, though she had no tangible proof to show the others.

"So he helped you stop the apocalypse, and you returned the favor and fucked him?" Anya asked. She knew she could be this blunt, and no one would be surprised or shocked by it.

"No," Buffy said firmly. "I wouldn't risk his soul like that."

"Really?" Xander sneered. "Where did you sleep last night?"

"At home," she continued the lie she'd told Willow.

Tara was startled at the sound of shattering glass. She turned to look at Giles. He stood over the remains of what looked like a cup of tea, and there were wet patches of brown on the wall next to him.

"Stop lying!" he yelled. "You were with that demon, weren't you?"

Buffy took a step back. She'd expected his anger, his disappointment, but this was more than that. There was pure rage in his face and voice.

"I…I…" Her words lodged in her throat when Giles sent another glass object crashing against the wall.

"Buffy!" Willow glared at her. "I thought I asked you not to lie to me."

"Fine, I spent the night at the mansion," Buffy said eventually. She felt tears in the back of her throat and forced it clear. "We were being followed, and I didn't want to lead anyone back here and put you all at risk."

"So you decided it would be best to lead them to the only demon more dangerous than them?" Anya asked in a mocking tone.

"No, I, we lost them."

"Is that what Angel told you?" Xander asked, his tone just as mocking as Anya's.

"I didn't need him to tell me." Buffy turned to look at Giles, deciding he was more important than Xander for the moment. "Angel arrived in town last night. It was the first time in months that I've seen him, and we spent the night in separate bedrooms. I might still be a teenager, but I'm not a slave to my hormones. Nor am I stupid."

"No, you're just an idiot," Anya said.

"Anya!" Willow called. She then turned to Buffy. "Buffy, are you sure Angel only arrived last night?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Buffy asked, baffled.

"Because Riley saw—"

"And you trust Riley's word more than mine, Will?" Buffy demanded.

"Right now?" Giles asked. "Yes, I do."

Tara wondered how they could say such hurtful things and not see how it affected the one they called their friend. On the other hand, she reminded herself, she really didn't know the situation, so she shouldn't be judging the people involved.

Buffy stared at her Watcher for a long moment. The hurt had cut deep, but hadn't she been slowly bleeding from it for months now? "Fine. I should have known talking to you would do no good. You never listen."

"Do you?" Willow demanded. "You're so busy in this oh-me and oh-Angel thing that you're not seeing what goes on around you, Buffy!"

 _Look who's talking,_ Buffy thought bitterly.

"You've never thought straight when it comes to Angel, and we can't always let you get away with it," Willow continued.

"Let me?" Buffy asked, her tone dangerously quiet. "You can't _let me_?"

"We can't," Giles confirmed. "I've tried treating you like an adult, but it's clear that you're not one. You've been lying to us, disappearing, going to Angel. I tried being understanding about your pain—"

"Understanding?" Buffy asked, her tone still quiet and unnaturally even.

Tara wondered if she were the only one who saw the danger in Buffy's eyes and the hurt in them. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to speak up.

"Yes, Buffy, tried," Xander said. "We did everything we could for you, but you just don't get it. Angel is evil, and if you can't leave him alone, then maybe someone should make you."

"Make me?" Buffy asked. Now she was smiling, and the smile caused ice chills to run down Tara's back. And she wasn't even the target for it. "You have it all figured out, don't you?" Buffy wasn't addressing anyone in particular, speaking to the room in general. "Well, let me tell you something, _friends,_ " she spat the word as though it was something dirty. "I don't need you to _let me_ do anything. I'm the Slayer. I get to decide what, how, when, and where. You can _try to understand_ , but you don't, and you never will."

Anya tried to interrupt, but something in the look Buffy sent her silenced her.

"You know nothing about being the Slayer, nothing about the pain and the sacrifice. Even you," Buffy turned to look at Giles. "You're my Watcher, but you're as blind as a bat when it comes to me. You expect me to bury my feelings, put everyone first and myself last, and you expect me to _thank you_ for it. Well, I don't. I went missing for three days, remember? None of you even thought to look for me or, God forbid, ask what happened to me!"

Tara saw the heartbreak beneath the harsh words Buffy was speaking, but she also noticed that it was missed by all. She was looking at Willow carefully, hoping at least Buffy's best friend would sense it. Tara only found anger and patronizing disapproval in Willow's aura and demeanor.

"I was kidnapped, drugged, tortured, and God knows what else," Buffy spat.

"What?" Giles was alarmed.

"Who tried to kidnap you?" Willow asked.

Xander just folded his arms, his face in a frown that told everyone he didn't believe a word of it. Anya had told him she'd seen Buffy in the mall during those three days Buffy was referring to, so he knew that Buffy was lying. Again.

"I escaped," Buffy continued, her tone slowly rising. "I was hurting all over, but I escaped, and when I came to you, to my _friends_ , to my _Watcher_ , all I got was the Angel lecture." She could no longer stop the tears from escaping her eyes, nor could she stop her tone from going up another notch. "You're so busy with your own lives that you don't care about mine. Only when you have time, or if I do something that you don't _like_ that you bother to take an interest. And I'm sick of it. I'm tired of pretending and playing to your tune. I won't be the mouse to your piper any longer."

"Buffy, what are you saying?" Willow asked in a quiet voice.

Giles was too angry to speak. _How dare she throw the blame at us? She was the one risking everything, and she wasn't even sorry after being caught lying about it._ Giles had spoken to Buffy's mother just earlier. Joyce had mentioned that Buffy hadn't come home almost since the school year began. He'd comforted the older woman who was sad that she was losing her daughter, and said daughter didn't even care that she was hurting others.

"I'm saying that I'm done," Buffy's tone was quieter now. She was no longer yelling. "You've been free of me for most of this year, so you don't really need my saying this, but I release you from any obligation you might imagine you still have. Go on with your lives. Xander, you have Anya and your job. Giles, you have your new business, and you're no longer employed by the Council. Willow, you have your education, and you have Tara. Though I have to tell you, Will, you might not have her for long if you continue treating her the way you've been so far."

"How dare you?" Xander exploded. "How dare you talk like that? Like you're all high and mighty while you're nothing but a lying little bitch?"

Buffy didn't even bother to flinch at the insult. "Nice to hear what you really think about me."

"Don't you dare walk away, Buffy!" Giles demanded when she turned on her heel and headed for the door. "Come back here, young lady, and let us discuss this like adults."

"No," Buffy said. "Like I said, I'm done. The apocalypse is averted, at least this time. I'll do my best with the next, but if not, you'll know it soon enough." She opened the door. "I'm pretty sure the Council will send the next Slayer here as well, with the Hellmouth still active and all. Goodbye, people. Have a nice life."

Buffy could hear the shouts begin the moment she shut the door behind her, but she wouldn't take it anymore.

She was done taking orders from them.

* * *

_Can we say it's about freaking time? I always thought that Buffy was much too lenient with her friends and never really stood up to them. Right now, I'm re-watching S03 (gotta educate hubby, you know), and I find that he hates what they're doing to her almost as much as I do. *grins*_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death: _we start with some more drama as the Scooby Gang deals with the aftermath of Buffy's departure. Tara makes some new friends, and we get a little dose of (much deserved) fluff heading our way._

_Thank you all for reading, and I hope you have a great week,_

_Alley Cat._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Tara stared at the people around her, stunned. There was so much self-righteous anger and fear swinging in the air that it was hard not to let it affect her. She could hardly keep track of the shouting, but the general theme was clear to her. They thought Buffy was endangering them by seeing Angel, though Tara couldn't really understand how one led to the other. They were angry with her for lying, to which Buffy had admitted, and Tara could understand their feelings in the matter. She didn't like being lied to any better than the others seemed to.

"I just wish she'd staked the bastard at the first chance she had," Xander muttered. "Hell, I wish I'd done so myself at one of the many opportunities I had."

Willow wrapped her arms around herself and sat down on the couch. Her expression angry. "Wish I hadn't tried the curse again. She'd have sent him to hell and be done with it."

"I wish it were that simple," Giles said. He was sitting next to Willow on the couch, looking just as angry, but Tara noted that there was also disappointment in him. The colors of his aura floated around him, signaling the heightened state of his feelings. It made it easier for Tara to read. "We don't know if he would have come back or not, and it is better that Angel came back rather than Angelus. I wouldn't have wanted to face the demon returned from hell."

"Neither would I," Willow agreed. "It would have been terrible."

"It still might be," Xander said. "Buffy's clearly not thinking straight. He's got her under his thrall or whatever."

Giles looked as though he was about to object, but he changed his mind and simply shook his head.

"I wish he'd stayed in L.A.," Xander muttered. "I wish that he'd just gotten himself staked and never returned."

A spike of blue and green caught Tara's attention, drawing her eyes to the door. Through the narrow glass windows right next to it, she saw the waves of pain and anguish in someone's aura. She realized something that the others had failed to notice—Buffy hadn't left immediately after shutting the door behind her. It seemed that she'd stayed, listening in on the conversation.

Having grown tired and disgusted with the emotions and people around her, Tara silently stepped back from the living room. The attention in the room was focused away from her, so nobody noticed when the front door opened, and Tara slipped outside.

As soon as she was outside, Tara searched for Buffy. She caught a glimpse of her turning the corner of the building and hurried after her. Tara wasn't sure why she was following the young girl, especially since said girl loved a vampire despite knowing what a vampire was, but Tara felt that it was the right path.

Once Tara was far enough away as to not be heard by the occupants of Giles' apartment, she called Buffy's name. She added a plea when the first call was ignored, and Buffy stopped but didn't turn around.

Tara ran the remaining distance between them. "I'm sorry," she offered.

Buffy sighed. "Nothing for you to be sorry about," she said, glancing back at the direction where she knew her former friends and Watcher were probably still discussing her life and her choices. "I'm sorry that you got caught in the middle of everything. I should have told Willow not to bring you over. I knew they'd react badly."

Tara shrugged. "I think… I think I w-was meant to come."

A rustling in the bushes besides them caused Tara to startle. A moment later, a small cat slid from under the greenery and crossed the road.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to the dorms," Buffy offered. "It's dangerous to walk alone at night in Sunnydale."

Tara nodded. "I know. Thank you."

Buffy didn't say anything, simply started walking again.

"W-would you mind very much if I a-asked what that was all about?" Tara asked after a few moments had passed in silence. She sensed that there was something happening and that she was meant to be a part of whatever it was. She also felt that the dormitory room was not her fated destination at the moment.

"I guess you have the right to be curious," Buffy murmured. And suddenly, she wanted to share, to unload. "It all began when I was first called as the Slayer," she began. "Ever heard of the term?"

Tara nodded, shyly smiling. "I'm a hereditary w-witch. The supernatural isn't f-foreign to me."

"Good, this would make things easier."

"Let's take a seat. I a-assume this is a long story," Tara said and gestured toward a nearby park.

"Okay," Buffy said. Once both of them were seated on a bench beneath a large tree, with a view of the empty street before them, Buffy began to speak. "I was fifteen when I was called, and though I wouldn't meet Angel for another year or so, he'd been there, seen me…"

o.O.o

Back inside Giles' apartment, things have finally quieted down. Anya had gone home for the night, and Willow had prepared a round of tea for all of them.

"Listen, guys, I didn't want to say anything before because I didn't think you'd approved, but I talked to Riley," Xander said suddenly.

"About?" Willow asked.

"About Angel," Xander replied. "And Buffy. The whole situation."

Giles looked at him with worry. "Are you sure that was wise?"

Xander shrugged. "It sure as hell beats sitting here like…well, sitting ducks and waiting for Angelus to come and pick us off one after the other."

Giles sighed. He had to agree with that. Buffy didn't think the Initiative had pure intentions but, although she usually had good instincts, Giles thought she was wrong about them. She was—once again—letting her emotions cloud her judgement. She'd done so before, and it had caused the death of the woman he loved.

How many more had to die before Buffy finally woke up to see the danger Angelus posed? Giles couldn't think of an answer to that. Buffy would never deliberately cause the death of innocents, but he knew that she had knee-jerk reactions when Angel was involved. He sighed. When Angel was involved, Buffy couldn't see who was the innocent and who was the monster.

"I didn't tell him everything," Xander said. "I gave him just the bare details regarding Angel. He said that the Initiative had dealt with demons like him before."

"I doubt that they'd caught many two-hundred year-old vampires," Giles said.

Xander shrugged. "I told him that Angelus was different, dangerous. Riley seemed to take it seriously and said he'd pass on the warning. I didn't say anything about the Council, Giles, but I had to tell him about what a Slayer was and that Buffy was one to get him to do it."

"Understandable," Giles said. Then he blinked. "To do what?"

"Kill Angel."

The room fell silent for several long seconds after Xander dropped the bomb.

"If Buffy finds out, we're screwed," Willow murmured, the first to speak up. She'd recalled Buffy's words and reaction when others had gone after Angel before.

_You can attack me, you can send assassins after me, that's fine, but nobody messes with my boyfriend._

Giles nodded, agreeing with the sentiment.

"Which is exactly why I spoke to Riley," Xander said with a smirk. "Buffy would never trace this back to us, and if it'll get the job done…" He let his words trail off with a shrug.

"That's a very big if," Giles said. "Angel isn't the common vampire. If we want Riley to have even the slightest chance of killing Angelus, we're going to have to give him a hand."

"I'm in," Willow said.

"What's the plan, G-man?" Xander asked, rubbing his hands together. This time Angel was going down, and there would be nothing Buffy could do to stop it this time.

o.O.o

Both Tara and Buffy had tears in their eyes by the time Buffy finished giving Tara the highlights of her life in the past four years.

"Right now, I'm afraid to hope that Wes will find the cure," Buffy said. "I know they've been going at it for months and found nothing, but I can't help hoping. I love him so much, Tara." She lowered her eyes and whispered, "He's pretty much all I have left in this world."

Tara wrapped her arms around the blonde girl and hugged the Slayer as she cried. "I can see how much you love him," she murmured. "It's a-all over your aura. It lights up in these b-beautiful golden hues when you focus on him. Are you g-going over there now?"

Buffy nodded. Months ago—a lifetime ago, really—she'd been comforted like this by Willow. Now, she felt closer to Tara, whom she'd just recently met, than to the girl she knew for over three years.

"Take me with you," Tara said. "I might b-be able to help. I _want_ to help."

Buffy straightened, surprised. "Are you sure?"

As Tara nodded, fully convinced that this was the correct path for her to take, Buffy's phone rang.

"Hello?" Buffy answered the unfamiliar number, offering an apologetic smile to Tara. Her heartbeat picked up when the caller identifier. "Hi Wes."

On the other end of the line, Wesley rubbed tired eyes as he returned the greeting. " _Hi Buffy, I…_ "

"You didn't find anything," Buffy said. She couldn't hide the disappointment from her tone. "Damn. I shouldn't be feeling this down. I knew it would take—"

" _Actually we did,"_ he said quickly, stopping the rest of her rant. " _Find something, that is. I think. Hope,_ " he corrected. " _Stop rolling your eyes at me, Cordy._ "

"You found something?" Buffy reminded him, not wanting him to be sidetracked. There was hope bubbling inside her.

" _Yes, Cordelia and I think we did,_ " Wesley said. " _Thing is, we would need the help of a powerful witch, and unless we want to wait for at least another year, there's not much time left to find such a witch. I was thinking about Will—_ "

"No," Buffy said sharply before he could finish the name. "I don't want her involved."

Wes sighed. " _I thought you might feel this way. I will try my contacts, see if anyone's available on a short notice._ "

"How short a notice are we talking about?" Buffy asked, eying Tara. "Before we have to wait another year."

" _We have until the night of the full moon,_ " Wesley replied. " _The spell would work best on the first full moon of the year, which is the night of the twentieth, at a quarter to nine p.m._ "

"So, tomorrow night." Buffy's lips turned in a wry smile. _Another fateful birthday._

" _Yes, and there's still preparations to be done._ "

Buffy heard Wesley sigh. Before he could continue, she said, "I think I might have someone. Hold on." She covered the mouth of the phone and turned to Tara. "Remember saying you want to help?"

Tara's eyes lit up with understanding. She nodded. "I do."

"How do you feel about pulling an all-nighter and meeting Angel?"

"Tonight?" Tara bit her lip. She felt much more comfortable with Buffy now, having heard the story of her and Angel, but she was worried about meeting more new people. Taking a deep breath, Tara nodded again. She could do this. _She had to_.

Seeing the apprehension on her face, Buffy offered Tara a smile. "They'll love you, Tara. Plus, Wesley, Cordelia, and Angel are much less likely to yell at me."

Tara blushed. "I hope so," she murmured. "Y-You've b-been through enough."

Buffy shrugged. She uncovered the phone. "Wes, still with me?"

" _Yes._ "

"I have someone who can help. We'll be there in ten minutes."

o.O.o

Tara found Wesley's smile pleasant and welcoming, which served to calm her down. She found that Cordelia was very protective—of both Wesley and Angel—but she wasn't hostile toward Tara. There was just one more person for her to meet.

"Where's Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Right here," called a voice from the top of the stairs.

Tara had to blink at the change in Buffy when the latter turned to the tall, dark man. This had to be Angel, Tara thought, and not just because of his words. Buffy's aura turned bright gold when she looked at him, no traces of the blue of sadness or green of anguish. Tara examined Angel and couldn't help but stare. His aura was definitely just as bright as Buffy's, but there was a second aura just under the surface. His demon, she thought. She could see the core of darkness in the second aura but was surprised to note the streaks of grey that turned to white and finished with golden edges.

Angel slowly made his way down the stairs, and Buffy came to the bottom to meet him. They exchanged a smile and a hushed conversation before Angel pulled her into an embrace.

Tara's eyes filled with tears. They were the truest of soulmates. There were soft gold and white ribbons that surrounded the couple, forming intricate knots where their auras met, almost merging into a single entity. "I've never s-seen anything like it."

"What?" Wesley asked, making her jump, though his voice wasn't much above a whisper. He didn't want to interrupt Angel and Buffy's small reunion.

Tara blushed. "I didn't realize I w-was speaking aloud."

"Too late to take it back now," Cordelia said, matching her tone to Wes's. "What didn't you ever see?"

"Their auras," Tara murmured, looking at the pair again. "They almost b-blend into a single entity when they are together. It should b-be i-impossible, each p-person has their own aura."

"But?" Wesley prompted, intrigued.

"I'm not sure." Tara frowned. "Like I said, I've n-never seen anything like it. I d-don't think it's bad, though, if that's what y-you're worried about. I-If anything, their c-connection should help the kind of spell you're trying to do. It c-could serve as an anchor or a c-conduit."

"Speaking of the spell," Buffy said, proving that she wasn't as oblivious as she seemed to be.

"Yes, of course," Wesley said. "Come over to the library, and I'll show you."

They followed Wesley, Angel keeping his hand at the small of Buffy's back. He couldn't and didn't want to break contact. He'd missed her.

_Lap dog,_ Angelus accused, but there wasn't any venom in the words.

_Guilty as charged._

Wesley filled Tara in on Angel's initial direction. "I don't have the original text in front of me. We have a friend bringing it over. He should be here in a couple of hours. However, I think that if we combine the Sorija Joining Spell and the Leleges' Summoning Ritual, we could pull it off."

"I'm familiar with Sorija's s-spell," Tara said, surprising them all. "I'm a hereditary witch," she explained. "I've been studying m-magic from the cradle."

_She's powerful,_ Angelus said.

Angel agreed. _Very. I wonder if she's even aware of just how powerful she is._

_Well, we're going to find out,_ Angelus said. He was feeling melancholic. On one hand, he definitely wanted to be with Buffy, and he was demon enough to admit this was his best chance. On the other hand, he wasn't looking forward to losing himself in the process.

"C-can you show me the ritual of the Leleges p-people that you want to use?" Tara asked.

Wesley nodded and took the top book form the pile next to him. He pointed the paragraph to her. "I think we can summon the soul using this one and combine Sorija's spell for the merging part."

Buffy's heart sank as she watched Tara's face. The Wicca was frowning. "You don't think it'll work."

Tara's gaze snapped up, eyes widening at the sorrow she saw emanating from both Angel and Buffy. "I…It's not… I mean."

"It's all right, Tara," Angel said, his tone perfectly calm. "Just say what is on your mind."

"I think that it c-could work," Tara said slowly, struggling with her stutter. "It's just that I d-don't think that it's the right s-spell for you."

"Why not?" Cordelia demanded. She'd just spent the last way-too-many hours of the day researching the stupid thing, and it was the closest that they'd ever come to curing Angel.

Tara blushed a bright shade of red and cast her eyes down. "You're n-not trying t-to summon a d-demon." Her stuttering was always worse when she was nervous. "S-Sorija's s-spell might t-tie the w-wrong s-side."

"Tara, take a breath," Buffy said. Walking over to the Wicca, she helped her into a seat, crouched in front of her, and took her hands, giving Tara's a light squeeze. "Look at me."

Tara obeyed, taking a deep breath and looking up.

"I trust you," Buffy said. "Call me crazy, trusting you after knowing you for such a short period of time, but I trust my instincts, and they tell me that you're trustworthy. I can also sense that you're powerful, perhaps even more powerful that you know yourself to be."

Tara couldn't help but smile at that.

"You think that this spell would bring Angelus out instead of binding Angel's soul?"

Tara nodded. She looked at Buffy, feeling more comfortable speaking directly to her than to anyone else. "The spells you've chosen, the s-sources, they are dark magicks. With the energy of the Hellmouth here in S-Sunnydale… I'm sorry, Buffy, b-but if you try to use a dark spell to do white magic, the end result—"

"The end result would still be dark," Angel finished for her. He closed his eyes in frustration. "We're not doing it." His tone was final

"What?!"

The outcry was unanimous, making Tara jump in her seat. "Not this spell, n-no, you shouldn't," she said quickly, "but we c-can try another way?"

"Another way?" Buffy asked, holding on to this new sliver of hope. "Please, tell us, Tara."

Tara turned to the books. She'd seen the volume on the desk while Wesley was explaining about his findings. "We can use the c-connection you and Angel have as the b-base." She searched through the table quickly and found the familiar tome she'd noticed earlier. She leafed through its pages for several seconds before finding what she was looking for. Nodding to herself, she spoke again. "Y-your connection would be the anchor, b-but there are consequences."

"What kind?" Angel asked, unsurprised. There were always consequences.

Wesley took the book from Tara's hands and looked at the page she opened it to. "A Handfasting?" he asked. It couldn't be that simple, he thought.

Tara nodded. "It's a better p-place to start."

"A Handfasting? What's that?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy felt herself blush as she stood up and turned away from the group. She knew what a Handfasting was. It was one of the subjects she'd come across when she'd grown curious about the ring Angel had given her. The custom of Handfasting was from the same time period as the exchanging of the Claddagh rings, and both meant the same—a promise made between two people to love, honor, and cherish.

Angel watched Buffy as she stared out the large windows to the gardens of the mansion. He wondered what she was thinking about. Did she know what the ceremony was meant for? She probably didn't.

_Just like she still doesn't know about the ring,_ Angelus said, more than a little bitter. _You should have told her, might have stopped her from screwing around._

_That was a lie,_ Angel reminded him. _She haven't been with anyone but us._

_Not because of anything you've done._

"What else?" Buffy asked without turning once Wes finished explaining the term to Cordelia. "You said that the Handfasting is the start. What about the rest?"

Tara was unsure how Buffy felt about this. The colors she could see of her aura were waving in erratic patterns that made it difficult for Tara to interpret. Deciding that Buffy herself probably wasn't sure how she felt, Tara said, "We should go with the c-concept of three. Three c-ceremonies of binding. One for each side of A-Angel, and the third f-for the white magic that will bless the union. The vampiric, the Irish, and the Wiccan. T-two of which you've already partially done and will need to c-complete."

"Which two?" Cordelia asked, thoroughly confused.

"Claddagh rings from the Irish tradition," Buffy murmured, still facing away from them. "The vampiric would be an exchange of marks."

Angel watched as she raised her hand to her neck and knew she was caressing the impression of his teeth on her skin.

"Yes," Tara said. "Angel would have to m-mark you." She knew about the marking from Buffy's tale earlier that evening, but Buffy didn't share her feelings regarding the matter, so Tara wasn't sure if Buffy was afraid of letting Angel bite her again. There was still too much going on in her aura for Tara to be able to deduce anything from it.

"And I would have to return the favor." Buffy's tone was even, revealing nothing of the turmoil inside her.

"Yes." Tara saw something she wasn't expecting to see—acceptance, expectation, even a sliver of joy from Buffy.

"What?" Cordelia asked. "What do you mean marks? Return what favor?"

Angel decided to explain, though his eyes were still glued to Buffy's form. "When vampires take a mate, the pair leaves a bite mark at the base of each other's throat. It's a sign of complete trust."

"Oh." Cordelia looked from Buffy's stiff back to Angel's concerned face and said nothing more.

"What else?" Wesley asked after several more seconds of tense silence. "The three ceremonies won't be enough."

Tara looked at him timidly. "Aphrodite's Eternal Lovers Blessing."

"But that's for humans, isn't it?" Wesley was fairly certain that his memory wasn't failing him.

"I'll have to r-rework it a bit," Tara said. "Shouldn't take me t-too long. In the meantime, we'll n-need to gather everything for the spell a-and two of the ceremonies."

"Yes, Angel already has everything he needs for the third one," Cordelia murmured, referring to Angel's sharp teeth.

Angel walked over to stand next to Buffy. "Buffy?" he asked, daring not to touch her at the moment. "How do you feel about this?"

"Well, a girl usually likes to be asked…" Buffy said, and he could hear the tears in her voice. When she turned to look at him, he saw that there was both hope and apprehension in her eyes. "How do _you_ feel about this, Angel?"

He closed the distance between them and gathered her in his arms. She brought her hands to touch his chest, and he placed his left palm over hers, above his unbeating heart. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I have loved you since the moment I first saw you, beloved." He felt everything inside him turn upside down and inside out at the thrill of what he was about to ask her. "Will you marry me, Buffy?"

She laughed through her tears. "Now you're asking! Last time you just gave me the ring."

Angel's eyes widened. She knew! _Was she mad?_

Angelus rolled his eyes. _Does she look like she's mad?_

"When did you find out?" Angel asked.

Buffy shrugged. "A while ago. It was quite a shock, let me tell you. I was only seventeen!"

Angel smiled, seeing nothing but laughter in her eyes. "And I was over two hundred. It was about time I settled down." He wiped away her tears with a gentle finger. "Do I get an answer? Or do you want me to go down on one knee and ask you again?"

"You on one knee definitely paints a nice picture," she teased for a moment. Then, she threw her arms around his neck and beamed up at him. "Yes, Angel, I'll marry you."

He couldn't stop himself from leaning down and taking her mouth in a kiss and, for several precious moments, the two lovers were completely oblivious to the rest of the occupants of the room.

Tara felt a sense of rightness wash over her again. She was meant to be here, to help these people. It was the same sense that had led her to reach out to Willow. At first, Tara thought that it was because Willow was meant for her, but now she understood. Fate wasn't leading her to her own love. The redhead was just a stop on the way to her helping Buffy and Angel.

"If you give me a p-pen and some paper, I c-can start working on rewriting the B-blessing," Tara said quietly to Wesley. She couldn't quite meet his eyes without stuttering. He was one of the most handsome men she'd ever met, and her tongue was tying itself into knots if her eyes met his.

Cordelia raised a brow but smiled. _Looks like Angel and Buffy aren't the only ones spreading hormones around_ , she thought. Wesley deserved to be happy. Despite the drunken incident in which he'd proposed to her, Cordelia knew that Wesley would never be anything more to her than a very good friend. Perhaps, this Tara could be good for him.

* * *

_From jumping at each other's throats to getting married, those two definitely keep me on my toes!_

_Hope you like this more lighthearted Angel. I think that we all deserve a little fluff after everything that has happened._

_What do you think about Tara and Wesley? It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? *wink*_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death: _Tara writes the spell, but the team needs to understand the possible side-effects, and Angel is not a happy camper when he learns what exactly the spell would require they do. Worry not, Buffy isn't about to pass this opportunity to be happy with her mate._

_Thank you all for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Tara took several deep breaths and began the meditative breathing that would put her in a light trance. She connected better with the energy around her when she was in this state, and she was now well practiced enough for the process to take no more than a few minutes.

Settled well into her mental balance, Tara opened her eyes and picked up the pen, preparing herself to link with the God and Goddess to rewrite the Blessing spell.

She could feel the words as they formed around her, taste them as she breathed them into her lung and exhaled. She put them to paper, choosing those that felt right, complementing the melody that she was slowly weaving.

Tara paused when the stream of words did. More than just her own energy and thoughts were required now. She looked up from the paper and watched the people with her in the room. Each of them had a book or two before them. All were focused on researching the individual parts of the magical rituals she had assigned them. She saw the lines of friendship and love intertwine with each individual's energy as it flowed through the room. Her eyes followed the floating ribbons, watching them dance and transform.

Then, there were words in the air once more. This time, each word carried a musical note that chimed in her ears. She listened carefully and chose only those that echoed harmoniously with what she'd already put to paper.

Only when the sense of completeness descended upon her, Tara looked down and read the spell that she had written. It began as a soft melody that hummed in her chest and soon, her whole body was wrapped in brightly colored whispers of power. As each sentence was read in her mind, she felt gentle brushes of flavor on her tongue. All of her senses were engaged and, though it was somewhat confusing to taste the blue sharpness of determination, it somehow made sense.

Tara felt weightless as she finished reading the spell and looked up from the parchment. White light filled the room, almost blinding her. She saw the rays touch each person in the room and, for a moment, could see every color of their auras shine clear. In the next heartbeat, the energy and power that surrounded her lessened, and Tara was counting her breaths again. The slow, calming, steady rhythm of intakes and exhales passed through her lungs as she arose from her trance. As she was coming back to her own body, her mental voice was steady, fluent, and echoed with the confidence left by the spell she had just put to paper.

When Tara opened her eyes again, she found herself to be the focus of everyone's gaze. She blushed and looked down. There were words formed on the paper that she knew she had written while in a state of a much deeper trance than the one she had meant to sink into.

"Tara," Buffy's voice drew her attention. "Are you all right?"

Tara nodded, feeling the blush slowly fade away from her cheeks. She now recalled that they'd all settled down to work on the three rituals that would be necessary to join Angel and Buffy's souls, binding his to his own body. She was supposed to be working on Aphrodite's Blessing spell while the others worked on the other two, and it appeared as though she was taken over when she sank into her light trance. She hadn't intended to sink so deep or rise so high, but Tara was certain that it was a benevolent being that guided her path—the Goddess herself? Dared she believe it?

"What happened?" Cordelia asked.

"I think I've connected with…" Tara wasn't sure how to answer that. "Someone or…some _thing_."

"A good something or a bad one?" Buffy asked.

"Good," Tara said.

"Are you sure?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes," Tara and Wesley said at the same time. "I've felt your energy," Wesley said when she turned to look at him. "It was pure and positive."

Buffy reached for Tara's hand and murmured something under her breath. A heartbeat later, she relaxed. No one but Angel and Tara seemed to notice her actions, and they both decided not to draw anyone's attention, each for their own reasons.

 _Seems like Tara isn't the only one with immense power,_ Angelus noted, sounding curious and thrilled.

 _It makes sense,_ Angel said. _She's come a long way since we've last seen her._ A new sense of respect unfurled inside him. He'd always respected Buffy's physical and mental strength. Now, he saw the scholarly part of her.

 _One that she has hidden before_ , Angelus argued. _She is much smarter than any of those idiots had ever given her credit for._

Angel agreed. _It's a mask she'd put on so that they'd accept her._ Now he felt rage built inside him, both at her friends for making her feel she needed a mask, and at himself for not seeing it sooner.

 _Yeah, you'll find a way to feel guilty over the price of gas,_ Angelus grumbled.

Turning his attention back to the happenings around him, Angel saw Tara showing Wesley the spell she'd written.

"This is good," Wesley said with a nod. "Great job, Tara!"

Tara felt herself blush again. "Thank you."

"So when are we doing this?" Cordelia asked.

"Not so soon," Angel said before Tara or Wesley could reply. "We need to know the possible side-effects of this."

Again, Tara and Wesley spoke at the same time. "I agree."

"Great, more digging," Cordelia grumbled.

"Actually, how about I help you prepare dinner for all of us?" Buffy suggested as she stood up. "And we'll let these fine gentlemen and gentlewoman dig through the books."

Wesley smiled. "You should leave dinner to Angel. He's a great cook."

"Are you implying something about my cooking skills?" Cordelia demanded.

Buffy gave Angel a wondering glance. She didn't know he could cook. He didn't eat, so she never brought the subject in fear of hurting him.

"No, I wouldn't dare," Wesley said, but his expression was mischievous. "Can't be worse than your drawing skills, though."

Angel stood up. "Leave dinner to Buffy and myself," he said. "Cordelia, you know we value your skills."

Cordelia eyed him. "Which skills would those be? My filing skills, perhaps?"

"I wasn't aware you had any," Wesley said cheekily.

Tara stared at them, wide-eyed.

Buffy laughed. "Come on, Angel. Show me what you have stocked in the kitchen before Cordelia stakes you."

"What about me?" Wesley said, trying to look innocent and insulted.

"Oh, you're a strong, smart Watcher," Buffy said much too sweetly. "You're not afraid of Queen C, are you?"

Wesley glanced at Cordelia, who wore a battle-ready expression on her face. "Very much so."

"Smart man," Cordelia said with approval and burst into laughter.

"I think we've scared Tara enough," Angel said, offering the young witch a charming smile. "We're just joking, Tara. Thank you very much for your help tonight."

Tara blinked. That smile of his was lethal.

"Hey, stop charming the ladies and go make out with your own," Wesley ordered and made shooing movements with his hand.

"Make dinner, Wesley," Angel said, his tone amused. "Not make out."

Cordelia raised a brow. "So that's how they're calling it these days?"

It was Buffy's turn to blush. She grabbed Angel's arm and pulled him away from the table. Before leaving the room, she called out, "Shall we warn Wesley to avoid closets, Cordy?"

Tara was shocked to see red tint Cordelia's cheeks and found herself smiling.

"You have a beautiful smile, Tara," Wesley said quietly.

"Oh, not you too," Cordelia groaned. "If you two are going to make out, I'm quitting."

"Promise?" Wesley turned to look at her, grinning.

Tara was shaking her head and laughing. She wasn't used to these antics, never having had many close friends outside her family. She knew that she was still blushing with the complement, but it made her feel warm inside. Filing that thought away to be examined when she was alone, she said, "I b-believe we were about to look into s-side-effects?"

"Yes, we were," Cordelia said, smiling at Tara. "Okay, so where do we start?"

o.O.o

In the mansion's kitchen, Buffy watched as Angel began pulling ingredients out of the cupboards.

"I didn't know you could cook," she said.

Angel shrugged. "I started a few months ago. It was something to do to keep my mind and hands busy while I missed you."

Buffy's heart squeezed, and she went over to Angel, needing his hug. "I've missed you, too."

"I've wanted to come back a thousand times, and Angelus was using every moment in which my mind was absent to try to send me on your way."

"But you didn't come," Buffy said quietly. It wasn't an accusation, just a simple statement of fact.

Angel thought about the day that never was for a moment. "I couldn't. I didn't think I was good enough, worthy of you."

"You thought that I should have normal," Buffy said, making the word 'normal' sound like something dirty.

He smiled sadly. "I did."

"I think I understand," she said. Leaning her head against his chest, she breathed in his scent. "Perhaps we both needed to grow."

"I wish I could have found a way that wouldn't have hurt you," Angel said quietly. He leaned his chin on the crown of her head and caressed her hair, loving the softness of the blonde tresses. "I never wanted to cause you so much pain."

"I know." Pulling slightly back to meet his eyes, Buffy said, "We both caused each other pain, but we're better now. We're communicating, and we're close to finding a solution to the curse."

"We are." He looked down at her mouth, so tempting him. "We are."

Buffy smiled as he closed the distance between them and joined their mouths in a kiss. They kept it short, knowing that the bubbling passion lurking just beneath the surface could sweep them away if they didn't do so, but it was one of the sweetest kisses they'd ever shared, filled with love, warmth, and hope.

o.O.o

Once they had all finished eating dinner, Tara, Wesley, and Cordelia presented their findings.

"While you two were _making dinner_ ," Cordelia began, making the words 'making dinner' sound like something dirty. "Tara, Wesley, and I worked out the small details."

"But?" Buffy prompted. "I know there has to be a catch."

"There is," Wesley said.

"Two, actually," Tara corrected, looking nervous as she glanced at the notes she brought to the table.

"Isn't there always?" Buffy sighed. She exchanged a look with Angel, and he took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. There always was a catch, true, but she and Angel would get over it together. "Go ahead."

"The Blessing is meant t-to tie two souls together for eternity," Tara said. "It's an essential p-part of the ceremony, so we c-can't change that. It's not a p-problem when we're dealing with t-two humans, but…"

"I'm not human," Angel said.

Tara nodded. "We're n-not sure how this will effect B-Buffy."

"Me?" Buffy frowned. "I don't understand."

"The original Blessing, once cast on two humans, meant that the two were tied for life," Wesley explained. "If one died, the other soon followed."

Buffy instantly caught up. "This could mean either a very long life for me or a very short one for you. I'm fine with the first option. The second is up to you, Angel."

Angel knew, even without the spell, that as soon as Buffy left this world, his greeting the sun would soon follow. Therefore, this was a non-issue. He couldn't say that, though. She would never want him to follow her into death, just as he knew that he would want her to live on after him. Instead, he looked into her eyes and said, "I tied my life to yours the moment I fell in love with you."

Buffy's smile was tender and loving. For a moment, the others felt they were intruding on a private moment between the two lovers.

"I c-can't be sure, but I suspect that the f-former is more likely than the latter," Tara said.

"I guess we'll find out in time," Buffy said. She could see Angel was about to argue. "Don't. I told you long ago that I want my life to be with you. If we would have months or years together, I don't care as long as I have you in my life."

Angel knew that it was more complicated than that—eternal life was something that Buffy really had no grasping of—but he also knew that she wouldn't budge.

 _Besides, she's right,_ Angelus said. _We would have her. Immortality isn't too bad when we have our mate in our bed._

"You said that there were two issues," Angel reminded Tara. "What is the second?"

Tara took a deep breath, preparing herself. "I can't cast the s-spell while you're still c-cursed."

Angel froze in his seat.

"So in order for you to bless Angel with his soul, he has to lose it?" Buffy asked, eyes fixated on Angel's still form.

Tara nodded.

"No!" Angel roared and stood from the table. "Never!"

Buffy told herself not to be hurt. It had to be a kneejerk reaction to the possibility of setting Angelus loose again. She understood that, but she still felt the pang in her chest. "How long?" she asked Tara quietly. "How long before the soul is back?"

"F-five m-minutes," Tara replied, jumping a little when Angel let out a growl and left the room.

"I'll take care of this," Buffy said, leaving her seat. "Get things ready," she ordered before following Angel out of the room.

Tara could almost feel the pain of the two lovers reach her, and she started when she felt Wesley's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said. "Buffy will speak with him. In the meantime, we should get things ready."

Cordelia watched the empty doorway. Buffy would talk Angel around. Wesley was right; they had work to do and little time to do it. Then she smiled. Angel and Buffy would want the spell cast as soon as was humanly possible, which meant that, if she wanted to make sure things are done correctly, she had some of her own planning to do.

o.O.o

Buffy followed Angel to the garden, where he paced between the pillars. "Are you ready to talk to me, or would you like to pace for a little while to vent before that?"

"Buffy, I can't!" He turned to look at her and then walked several yards away. He couldn't remain in one place. His thoughts were filled with fear. This particular course of action was one he wasn't prepared for. Angelus free. He couldn't do it. He couldn't take the risk. "I won't set Angelus loose on the world, on you. There has to be another way."

"Oh, really?" Buffy felt her own temper spark along with the hurt. "Why don't you tell me about this other way? Because I seem to recall at least three people working on this _other way_ for months and not finding anything."

"You don't understand…" Angel laid his tortured eyes at her. "I can't let him…"

"Not even for me?" she whispered. "Angel, it's only for five minutes."

"You don't know how much damage—"

"Oh, I don't?" she demanded, her voice rising again. She placed herself in his path and forced him to stop and look at her. "I was there, Angel. I had a front row seat on the Angelus show the last time around. I know _exactly_ how much damage Angelus can do in five minutes."

 _She's right, you know,_ Angelus said. _She knows better than anyone._

 _Why aren't you more upset by this?_ Angel couldn't help but wonder. _We're about to lock you up and throw away the key._

Angelus shrugged. _You're just making it harder for me to get free. There are always ways. In the meantime, I enjoy messing with you, and I'd love to have Buffy in our bed. It's a win-win situation for me._

Angel closed his eyes, ordering himself to think clearly. Buffy was right. "I guess you do." He opened his eyes and looked at her, seeing the hurt and anger. "I never told you how sorry I am for what he said that morning."

It was Buffy's turn to look away. She knew exactly what morning he was referring to. It was the one following her seventeenth birthday. "There's no need…"

"There is every need." Angel came to stand in front of her. Gently, he placed a finger under her chin and waited until she looked up at him. "The night we spent together was the best night of my life. You were absolute perfection. If losing my soul is any indication, it should tell you that I have never been happier than I was with you that night."

Buffy pulled him in for a kiss. She _had_ needed to hear that. Even telling herself that Angelus had been lying, the demon's words still struck a chord. That wound was completely healed now.

"I love you, Angel," she whispered against his lips.

"I love you, too."

"We will take every precaution," she promised. "We will do everything that's necessary to keep everyone safe, but we're doing this spell."

Angel nodded. He was still apprehensive and imagined he would continue to be so until his soul was bound and Angelus no longer a threat, but he would do this, for her and for himself. They deserved to be happy.

 _Oh, enough with the mush,_ Angelus complained. _Can we get on with it? I want to fuck my mate and would prefer to do so sooner rather than later._

 _Angelus will be Angelus_ , Angel thought with wry amusement. "Let's go inside and see what preparations are necessary."

"That's the spirit." Taking his hand in hers, Buffy smiled. "Consider this an early birthday present for me. Two birds, one stone, and all that."

Angel brought their joined hands to press a kiss over the back of her hand. "If you wish."

"I do," she said.

"I do believe _that_ part comes later." Angel winked and added, "And it would require you getting a new ring."

* * *

_One step closer to getting Angel's soul anchored! Are you as excited as I am to getting that pesky curse out of the way?_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death: _it's time to get this wedding on the road, and who is better than Cordelia the wedding planner?_

_Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll take the time and leave me your thoughts._

_Alley Cat._


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"Is everything okay?" Cordelia asked when Angel and Buffy came back inside.

"We're good," Angel replied.

"So, how soon can we do the spell?" Buffy asked.

"We'll need time to prepare the ritual," Wesley replied, hesitantly. "I think it would also be a good idea for all of us to get a good night's sleep before handling something this powerful."

"So, tomorrow night?" Buffy couldn't help the hope springing inside her from being reflected in her voice.

"Wouldn't you like to take a few days to at least buy yourself a proper dress?" Cordelia asked before anyone could say anything. "Maybe invite a few guests? It's going to be, for all intents and purposes, your _wedding_!"

Smiling broadly at that, Buffy looked up at Angel. "Everyone I want is already here." Then, she frowned. "You're right about the dress, though."

"And you would also need rings," Wesley reminded them.

"I wish I still had my original one," Buffy murmured sadly, looking at her empty left hand.

"Let me take care of the rings, beloved." Angel said. His mind already working—alongside with Angelus—on what he would have to do to take care of the small details that would make this a perfect day for Buffy. He didn't want to wait longer than was absolutely necessary.

_And just as Buffy said, everyone I want is already here,_ Angel thought.

"If we can get the dress in one day, can you perform the ritual tomorrow evening?" Buffy asked Tara and Wesley.

Cordelia interrupted. "Those two might be miracle workers, but I'm not. The day after tomorrow. "

"But—" Buffy tried to argue.

''No," Cordelia insisted. "You're not the only one who's going to need a dress, and I haven't even mentioned the flowers, shoes, and accessories."

Buffy sighed, knowing that Cordelia was right. "Fine, the day _after_ tomorrow." Then she looked at Wesley and Tara. "Would that work for you?"

Tara nodded, and Wesley said, "We can do that."

"Good," Cordelia said approvingly. "Now, Wesley, give them the rundown of what's going to happen."

"Okay." Wesley took a deep breath and began laying out their plan. "Angel, you're going to take care of the rings?"

Angel nodded.

"Good, then I'll need them as soon as you have them. They need to be blessed at sunset before the last rays of light disappear on the horizon." He looked down at the notes he'd made and ran a few quick calculations. "We'll start the Handfasting ceremony shortly after moonrise, which is at seven fifteen. Tara and I will officiate, as we are the most magically trained after Angel and Buffy. After the ceremony, you'll need to break the curse, and then we would start the Blessing." Wesley gestured at a notebook lying on the desk. "Tara did a wonderful job with all of the spells that would be required, so everything is ready on that front."

Tara smiled shyly.

"How will you…" Buffy had to clear her throat and focused her gaze on the desk. "I mean, do I have to call you when—"

"I'll know," Tara said gently. "I w-will sense when Angel's s-soul leaves."

"Good." Buffy nodded. It was embarrassing enough that they all knew what she was going to be doing with Angel. More than that, as she told to Angel earlier, she knew exactly how dangerous his demon was, and Buffy didn't want to leave him alone even for a moment. "Go on, Wes."

"That is roughly it," he said. "We made a list of everything we would need for the spell itself. Most of it I can get here."

"So we're all set on the magical front, good." Cordelia nodded in satisfaction. She was a little worried about what the future would hold for her after Buffy and Angel's wedding. Things would probably have to change, and where would they want to live? Pushing those thoughts aside, she decided that she was happy for them. They would work things out later. First, there was a wedding to put together, and there were less than two days for her to pull it off. "Now, Wes, Angel, do either of you have tuxes?"

Wesley stared at her, momentarily perplexed at the quick change of subject. "Uh, I think so?"

"I'll take care of that for the both of us," Angel said. He still had contacts that would be able to come up with three suits in time for the ceremony—the third one for Gunn as Angel doubted the younger man ever had a reason to own one.

"Good," Cordelia said, pleased. "Angel, I need your keys."

"My keys?" he asked.

"To your car," Cordelia explained. "I'm taking Buffy and Tara to L.A. We all need dresses, and there's nothing even remotely suitable here in Sunny-Hell."

"I see." When Cordelia continued to look at him expectantly, he asked, "What, now? You can leave tomorrow morning."

"Yes, now, and no, we can't wait till tomorrow morning. We're leaving as soon as we're done here," Cordelia said. "Do you have any idea how much work it's going to take to put together a wedding this quickly?"

Angel briefly considered the details he could already think about—tuxedos, the rings that would be custom made, definitely some kind of decorations for the mansion, music, preparing the spells and ceremony itself, and that was before he'd even considered everything that Buffy would need. He wanted her to have everything she had ever dreamed of having at her wedding and knew that he'd do anything within his power to make sure she got it. "I'll go get the keys."

When Angel returned a few moments later, he placed the keys in Buffy's hand. He smiled at Cordelia's pout. "I've seen you drive."

She huffed. "I'm not _that_ bad!"

"Still, I'd rather Buffy did the driving," Angel said. Then he took out something else from his pocket and handed it to Buffy as well. "Take my card. No, don't argue. I want you to treat yourself and the girls, get the dresses, get some rest, and get whatever else you want. Just make sure you come back in time."

Relenting, Buffy took the card. "I won't leave you alone at the altar, promise."

"Excellent!" Cordelia announced before anyone could argue further. "Say goodbye to your honey, Buffy. Tara, leave whatever instructions necessary for Wesley. We leave in fifteen."

As Cordelia rushed out of the room—presumably to pack whatever she needed to take with her for the trip to Los Angeles—Buffy laughed at the shocked expression on Tara's face. "She's bossy, our Cordelia, but she means well, Tara."

"Um…" Tara wasn't sure what to say. "I'm n-not sure I sh-should—"

"Please, come with us, Tara." Buffy turned to the Wicca with a pleading look on her face. "I would love to have you and Cordy as my bridesmaids. Consider it a birthday present."

"Oh!" Wesley's eyes widened in surprise. "Your birthday is the day after tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Buffy said, shrugging. "Angel won't have to remember two separate dates." She winked at him. She couldn't decide what exactly she was feeling at that moment. The evening had been a rollercoaster of events. Her friends disappointing her, making a new friend in Tara, finding a cure for Angel, making plans to marry him... Marry Angel! That thought alone was enough to cause a swarm of butterflies to take residence in her stomach. She placed a hand there, trying to decide if she was going to be sick with nerves or burst into a joyful dance. "Besides, Wesley just said how good a job you've done on the spells, so you know you can leave him to handle things here."

Nodding, Tara told herself that Buffy was right. Wesley could handle everything, and she wouldn't really be missing all that much in classes tomorrow. More importantly, she thought as she looked at the pleading expression on Buffy's face, the Slayer deserved to have as many friends as she possibly could with her. Tara had seen just this evening that friends were a commodity that was in short supply lately. "All right, I'll c-come with you."

"Great!" On a whim, Buffy hugged a surprised Tara and whispered to her, "Thank you so much."

Angel smiled, hearing the words due to his enhanced hearing. He loved seeing Buffy so happy, and the idea of having her tie herself to him for eternity was something he hadn't dared think about in the past. He might not be able to give her normal, but he was damned if he didn't make sure that she was forever taken care of from now on.

_Especially in bed,_ Angelus purred, imagining the wedding night. _Definitely there._

_Please!_ Angel nearly begged. _Remember that we still have close to forty-eight hours to pass before that._

_Oh, right. Damn it._

"Cordelia was serious about the fifteen-minute deadline," Angel reminded Buffy and Tara. "If there's anything else you need to do before you leave, you better get it done."

Buffy had to take a moment to gather her thoughts. "We'll have to stop at the dorms to pick up a change of clothes, but other than that, I'm good. Tara?"

"Same," she said. "Wesley? Are you o-okay with taking care of e-everything here?" She had complete trust of his capabilities, having seen that he had extensive knowledge while they were working on the different spells, but she wasn't sure how he felt about being left behind to do all of the preparations on his own.

Wesley nodded with an assuring smile. He found himself thinking that the stuttering Tara was very endearing. "I'm all good. Go, have fun with the girls. Just make sure that you're back on time."

"I will," Tara said, privately taking note of just how lovely his smile was.

o.O.o

True to her word, fifteen minutes after going up to her room, Cordelia was back downstairs and proceeded to rush the girls out through the underground passage. They still had a ways to walk before they got to where Angel had left the car, and they wanted to stop by the campus before leaving Sunny-Hell.

Buffy paused just before they entered the electrical tunnel that would lead them back to the warehouse where Angel's car was parked. "Just a moment, girls." She took a deep breath to center herself. She wasn't as advanced as Willow, nor did she have Tara's lineage, but she was the Slayer, and she had magic inside her. _I can do this._ "Goddess of night, Protector of the wild, hear my call, Lilith the might. Protect this dwelling and cast your shield over this house. No harm shall come here, calling, let no evil here browse. With the power given to me, as I will, so mote it be."

Tara and Cordelia stared at her as Buffy lowered the arms she'd lifted. A gentle shimmering appeared for a moment around them before dissipating.

"Are you a witch now, too?" Cordelia demanded.

"No, still the Slayer here."

"But you have m-magic in you," Tara said. "That is one p-powerful shield you've in-invoked."

Buffy nodded. "I need it to protect some very important people."

"Which will m-make it even more p-powerful."

"Good," Cordelia said. "I don't know who this Lilith is, but I won't say no to extra protection."

As the girls began to walk, Buffy explained, "Lilith was Adam's first wife. The Bible calls her some very bad names, but she is considered to be the Goddess of Feminine Spirituality."

Tara nodded. "According to s-some beliefs, Lilith helps one d-discover one's dark and w-wild side."

That earned her a smirk from Cordelia. "Well, our Buffy definitely has her dark and wild sides sorted. How about you, Tara? Any sexy skeletons in your closet?"

Tara nearly jumped out of her skin. "What? N-no, no s-skeletons."

"Relax," Buffy said. "Cordy is just being a bitch because she's not getting any."

"Neither are you," Cordelia retorted, though the smile she and Buffy wore told Tara that neither was serious. "And if I had to guess, I'd say Tara here is as pure as first snow."

Tara blushed furiously, making Cordelia laugh.

"Oh, leave her alone, Cordy," Buffy said. "Don't corrupt the child. She's way too innocent for you."

"Then we'll have to make sure we do our best to corrupt her a little bit in the next forty-eight hours," Cordelia decided.

"Suddenly, I'm v-very very s-scared," Tara murmured.

Buffy wrapped an arm around Tara's shoulders and gave her a light squeeze. "Don't worry, Tara, I'll protect you from the worst of it."

Cordelia snorted. "You?"

"Yes, me." Buffy glared at her. "Got a problem with that, Miss Make Out in the Closet?"

Tara stared at them, wide-eyed.

Cordelia burst into laughter. "Oh, God, I can't believe you called me that. I guess I was one, wasn't I?"

"Yup." Buffy grinned. "Don't think there's a single closet in Sunnydale high that you didn't christen with Xander."

Tara gaped. She didn't know Cordelia had a relationship with Xander.

"No, I don't think there is," Cordelia agreed and sighed. "That was a lifetime ago. He hasn't changed much, though, has he?"

"Neither of them," Buffy murmured.

It was Cordelia's turn to put an arm around Buffy's shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Buffy offered her a sad smile. "If anything, I always appreciated your honesty." Then she smirked. "Well, most of the time."

"Now, that's the Buffy I know and love." Cordelia laughed. "So, I've already booked us a morning at the spa. They know me there, so they've agreed to squeeze us in for facials, massage, and nails. After that, we're going shopping for dresses and accessories for all three of us, including, but not limited to, shoes, bags, and jewelry. I think our Tara here would look great in pink. What do you think, Buffy?"

Buffy tilted her head to the side as she examined the reddening cheeks of Tara. "I agree. She's already fond of wearing red on her cheeks."

Tara rolled her eyes, smiling despite their teasing. She thought that, with all the history Cordelia and Buffy had between them, she would feel left out. She didn't. For the first time in much too long, Tara felt included.

"I think that b-blue is a b-better choice," she said.

"Blue," Buffy said and hummed, considering. "I like it. Yes, blue would go well with the color of your eyes."

"I can work with blue." Cordelia nodded. "Though I do look fabulous in red."

Tara chuckled. "I'm s-sure you'll look fabulous in r-rags."

"You're a girl after my own heart, Tara." Cordelia smiled approvingly. "Buffy, have you thought about what kind of dress you'd like to wear? Oh, and are you going to go with a full veil or something small and sophisticated?"

Buffy looked shock-stricken. "I have no idea."

"Well, you have about twelve hours to decide," Cordelia said. "Oh, and you should start thinking about what you'd like to have in your bridal bouquet. Though you probably shouldn't decide on anything too concrete before we find you the perfect dress. You don't want your flowers to clash with the dress."

"Bouquet, right."

Tara had to smile at how baffled and overwhelmed Buffy sounded. "We'll have t-time to discuss things d-during the ride."

Cordelia decided to take pity on Buffy, though she did have to work hard to hide the chuckle at Buffy's expense. _Give the girl a giant monster to fight, and she attacks it head on, no problem. Ask her about how she wants her wedding to look like, and she panics._ "Okay, I'm officially appointing myself as your wedding planner. Leave all the hard decisions to me. You just have to focus on the fact that you're going to marry Angel."

"How many weddings have you done so far?" Buffy asked, eying her suspiciously. She was certain Cordelia was laughing at her panic.

"Yours would be the first." Cordelia smiled confidently. "Do you want to go traditional or modern?"

Buffy had to think about that. What _did_ she want? Every time she'd envisioned herself getting married—and she could privately admit that she'd done so a few times in the past, and it had always been Angel in the groom's part—she hadn't thought about much else beyond having Angel all to herself. "Traditional," she decided. "The Handfasting is a traditional ceremony, and I think we should keep that as the theme."

"So we're borrowing from the Irish and the Celts," Cordelia said, sending a questioning look to Tara, who nodded in approval. "I like that. Though I draw the line at green and leprechauns."

Tara giggled. She was coming to like Cordelia very much.

"Definitely no leprechauns," Buffy agreed. "I do like Irish lace, though."

"It would be p-perfect for a veil," Tara said. Then she thought about something. "How d-do you feel about the tradition of w-wearing something old, something n-new, something borrowed, and something b-blue?"

"As long as you don't continue it with a sixpence in my shoe, I'm all for it," Buffy said. "What did you have in mind?"

"I have a r-relative living in L.A.," Tara began, biting her lip. "She w-wore an Irish lace v-veil on her wedding years ago."

Buffy's eyes lit with interest. "I'd love to see it."

"She is happily m-married for fifty-seven years now." Tara smiled. "It's good luck."

"I'll take all the luck I could get," Buffy said, growing serious.

"So that takes care of the old and borrowed," Cordelia said, wanting to steer Buffy away from brooding. She'd had enough of it from Angel. "The new will be your dress, Buffy. Are we going to go with the garter as the blue?"

Buffy frowned. "I'm not too fond of garters."

"It only means you haven't been using them right." Cordelia smirked, making Tara giggle at the blush that creeped up Buffy's cheeks as a result. "Fine, we'll see what we can find. Back to the bouquet, we'll have to see what kind of flowers are in season, but you can never go wrong with white roses."

"I agree," Tara said. "White r-roses mean marriage, spirituality, and new s-status."

"White roses, it is then," Buffy said, liking the meaning behind the flowers.

Cordelia pulled out her day planner and began making notes to herself. "White roses, borrowed veil, and definitely some sexy lingerie." She knew a few places they could visit after finding the perfect dresses.

Buffy rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

"Are we having the ceremony in or out?" Cordelia asked.

"Outside," Tara replied. Then she looked sheepishly at Buffy, uncomfortable at making the decision for her. "It's p-part of the Handfasting ceremony."

"I guess outside it is," Buffy said. "One less thing to worry about choosing. I like the gardens at the mansion."

"They are awesome, I agree. Too bad the Jasmine isn't blooming this time of year. Oh, candles! Yeah, those would definitely work." Cordelia punched a few keys.

"We need to g-get one large candle and t-two thinner," Tara said. "Unity candles."

"What are those?" Buffy asked.

"And do they have to be a particular color? 'Cause I'm thinking about a white and blue theme here."

"White is b-best, but blue is fine, too," Tara said. "Buffy and Angel w-would light the central candle with the t-two thinner ones. It symbolizes the s-sacred union."

"White or blue, good." Cordelia typed a quick message to Angel. She could be efficient when she wanted to. She just made sure she wasn't too efficient too often, making sure she didn't have tasks dropped in her lap left and right.

_Buffy wants traditional Irish. White roses. Blue for accents. Use plenty of candles, and get Unity candles. Know what those are?_

Angel's replying message came moments later. _Yes. Trust you to take care of my fiancé._

Cordelia was filled with warmth at his words. Angel was entrusting her with the most important person in his life, and that meant a lot to her.

The phone vibrated again.

_And to make a serious dent in my funds._

She laughed. Yeah, he could definitely count on her to give his credit card a good run.

"Okay, that takes care of the decor." Cordelia nodded with approval. "Now, here's to hoping we'll find the perfect dress for you."

"Yes, here's to that." Buffy sighed. "My head is still spinning."

"We will f-figure it out as we go." Tara smiled, seeing joy in the dazed expression on Buffy's face.

"Damn straight, we will." Cordelia nodded, approaching the passenger side of Angel's car. "If you don't take long at the dorms, we should make it to Los Angeles by midnight. You don't need to take much with you, anyway."

Buffy raised a brow, opening the driver's side door. "Remind me again how many suitcases you took with you on your last weekend vacation?" When Cordelia didn't answer, she said, "I thought so."

Tara giggled. She could almost forget the supernatural, she thought as she fastened the seatbelt. Almost.

o.O.o

Gunn arrived at the mansion two hours after the girls had left for Lost Angeles. Wesley had updated him on the goings on when he'd called and asked him to bring some supplies from the city, so Gunn was ready with a good teasing for Angel.

"Damn, you move fast, man!" he said to Angel after exchanging hellos. "Less than twenty-four hours in town, and you've got yourself a honey willing to marry your ugly face."

Angel chuckled. "I've known Buffy for over three years now."

_Not counting the century spent in Hell,_ Angelus corrected.

Gunn paused to examine Angel. He'd never seen the vampire this excited. "So, nervous to be losing your freedom after two centuries and change as a bachelor?"

"Not about getting married, no," Angel said and sighed. _In my heart, I married her when she was seventeen._ "I _am_ worried about you keeping your mouth in check, though."

Gunn laughed. "Afraid I'll scare her off?"

Wesley stared at Angel in shock. He'd never witnessed the vampire behave so freely, so…young. Wesley knew Angel had been around the age of twenty-seven when he'd been turned, which made him the same age Wesley was now, but for the first time since meeting the vampire, Wesley felt old in his presence.

Telling himself to quit being a fool, Wesley decided to join Gunn's teasing. "If Angel's hairy back and bad breath didn't scare her, nothing will."

"Et tu, Brute?" Angel turned to look at him with a raised brow.

"Can't pass on the opportunity. I'm going to make a stop at the local magic shop," Wesley said. He'd used the time after the girls' departure to instruct Angel on everything he needed to know regarding the rituals, wanting to have it done before they were no longer private. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

"Not making any promises, Dad," Gunn said, grinning. "And since when are there shops open at two in the morning?"

"It's a Sunnydale perk." Wesley put on his coat. "See you in a little while."

Gunn watched him leave then turned to Angel. "A Sunnydale perk?"

"Wesley has a key," Angel explained. "We know the owner." He didn't want to mansion Giles right then. He was still furious with the man for his behavior toward Buffy. "I hope you've had enough sleep last night because I doubt you'll get much today. We're leaving as soon as Wes is back."

"Leaving? Where to?"

"You're going to need a tuxedo." Angel smirked at Gunn's expression. "We're going traditional, and I know someone who works fast."

Gunn looked at him suspiciously. "Less than two-days fast?"

Angel nodded.

"That's gonna cost you a pretty penny."

"When you've had a couple of centuries to accumulate, a pretty penny isn't a problem," Angel said. "Now go settle into your room. Second floor, third door on the right. I don't think Wesley will take more than thirty minutes."

"Going, going," Gunn muttered as he strode off toward the staircase.

Angel looked around with a critical eye. Wesley had told him that the ceremony itself would take place outside, but that didn't mean the interior should remain undecorated. For the first time since getting the damned thing from Cordelia, Angel was grateful for having his cell. Cordelia gave him the general instructions on what Buffy chose as the theme, and Angel approved. He knew he would have been happy with whatever she'd chosen, but it warmed his heart to find out Buffy wanted to go traditional Irish.

_I got you rooms at the Bel-Air. Give my name at the reception when you arrive._ Angel sent the hotel's address to Cordelia and could visualize her pleased expression when she replied to him. _Bel-Air? Good job! We're on our way._

Finished with the hotel reservations, Angel made several more calls and arranged for the gardens to be tended to then decorated, along with the ground floor of the mansion, with fresh flowers, lush fabrics, and plenty of candles.

It paid to have Angelus' reputation, he thought as his requests were met immediately.

_You're welcome, boyo_ , Angelus said with a sneer. _Can't believe that asshole sells flowers for a living now._

_People change,_ Angel reminded him. _They'll come in and decorate while we're getting dressed and picking up the rings. You wouldn't want us to look anything but dashing on our wedding day, would you?_

_Wedding_ night _,_ Angelus corrected, _and of course we're going to look our best. So will our mate, and you will make sure of it. The sapphires._

Angel nodded. _Cordelia did say blue was the color to go by._

_I have excellent taste._ Angelus was feeling smug. _Buffy would look delicious wearing nothing but them as we take her._

This time Angel groaned in response to his demon's thoughts. _Get your head out of the gutter, Angelus._

_Don't want to. You go take care of the small details,_ he ordered Angel. _I'm going to have some fun with these memories I have._

Angel closed his eyes and tried not to pay any heed to the images swimming in his mind. Buffy, wearing only the shadows of the early morning, throwing her head back in ecstasy. The silkiness of her thigh as he introduced her to the pleasures his mouth could bring her.

Adjusting his suddenly tight pants, Angel made one last call. The person on the other end of the line was efficient and discrete as he assured Angel that the items he requested would be delivered to their destination on the morrow.

As he waited for Wesley's return, Angel went about the room and put everything in order. It helped to keep his hands busy. This way, he could keep them from reaching for his cell phone and calling Buffy just to hear her voice.

* * *

_So, this is really happening! *squeals*_

_Perhaps it's a good thing that Angelus is keeping his mind in the gutter. That way, he doesn't have time to scheme, right?_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death _: we join the girls in LA and get to meet some of Tara's family. Also there is dress shopping, flower picking, and something about a_ _shoe-searching, dress-shopping, fashion-forward demon._

_Thank you all for reading, please leave a review when you're done, Musie needs all the feeding she can get, the greedy B*tch._

_Lots of love,_

_Alley Cat._


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 17**

"Cordelia, you're a genius," Buffy said with a sigh of content.

"I know." Cordelia grinned.

"I'm almost ready to forgive you for waking me up so early after getting to bed at God-knows-how-late in the night," Buffy continued. "This spa is, without a doubt, the best." She sipped delicately from the flute of Champagne that had been brought to her earlier. She'd begun the morning with a mud bath, had her hair brushed and conditioned, her body massaged into a complete state of relaxation, and was now in the process of having her toenails painted while another employee of the spa was drying out her hair after adding golden highlights to it. "And expensive to boot."

"Angel can afford it," Cordelia dismissed. "Tara, how are you doing there?"

Tara had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the pampering. "I'm having an outer b-body experience."

"Sounds about right," Buffy murmured. "What's next on our schedule, Cordy?"

"Dresses," Cordelia said. "That's the major hurdle, yours and ours. As soon as we have that, shoes and accessories are easier, but we need to get those done—as well as pick out the flowers—today. We won't have any time for that tomorrow. We can meet Tara's relative as soon as we're done, and you'll have to decide if you like the veil, and if it fits your dress." She checked her mental list. "I'll have to check if the salon here is available for hair and makeup for us to get ready here tomorrow."

"I feel t-tired just listening to all of that," Tara said. "How long b-before we have to start it all?"

"Thirty minutes," Cordelia replied. "I set us a meeting at _Atelier by Dawn_ at ten." She mentioned the address of the shop.

"That's not that far away from here," Buffy said. "I think."

"Ten minutes by foot," Cordelia confirmed.

"I'll b-be right back," Tara said and rose from her chair. She had an idea and wanted to check it with her family before suggesting it to the girls. Returning a few minutes later, she sat back in her chair. "I called Sheena, my g-great-aunt. She c-can meet us at _Atelier by Dawn_. She will bring the v-veil with her. Saves time."

"Good thinking, girl." Cordelia sent her an approving smile. She raised her glass in greeting. "Here's to hoping our very own Bridezilla likes the veil."

Laughing, Tara and Buffy clinked their glasses to hers.

o.O.o

Buffy fell in love with the delicate veil the moment she had laid eyes on it. The fabric was so gentle it reminded her of a cloud trimmed with snowflakes at the edges. Unfortunately, she couldn't see any of the dresses she tried on working with the veil.

"Tara," Sheena turned to the girl while the shopkeeper took Buffy to try on another dress and Cordelia browsed the rows of white gowns. "Have you considered wearing your mother's ceremonial gown? The royal blue and silver one."

Tara's eyes lit up. "I have c-completely forgotten! Yes, I would love to w-wear it."

Sheen smiled. Her sister's only grandchild was such a shy little thing. Very powerful, as all of the women on her side of the family were, but painfully timid. She was glad to see that at least she had two close friends who seemed to appreciate and accept her. "I shall have Ian bring it over to the hotel were you are staying."

"Oh, thank you, Sheena." Tara felt her eyes fill with tears.

"You are welcome, child." Sheena felt her own eyes water a bit. The passing of a mother's ceremonial gown was a significant event her sister, Layla, had not had the chance to perform. She'd died just weeks short of Tara's sixteenth birthday, which was the time when such a passing should take place. The following battle for control over Tara's future between Tara's father and her mother's family had been an ugly and bitter one. Only with the banishing of Layla's ex-husband were they able to gain peace. The frightening ordeal of being kidnapped by the father that never acknowledged her before her mother's death had left Tara—a confident, bright witch until then—the shy, timid girl she was now.

Sheena wished they'd seen what a vile creature he was sooner. They could have banished him after the divorce. They didn't see the danger in time, though. Only weeks after Tara's kidnapping, they were able to find her. The evil bastard was gone forever now, Sheena reminded herself, and all of that was in the past.

"I don't like this one, either," Buffy said as she came out with the latest in the dresses she'd tried on for the past two hours. There was defeat in her tone. "I keep seeing all these modern designs, and they all seem wrong with the veil. Even the vintage style dresses!"

Cordelia sighed. "Hate to say this, but I agree."

"Buffy," Sheena said, gaining the girl's attention. There was so much power, some of it yet to be discovered, in the young woman. "Perhaps I might be of service yet again?"

"Oh, I couldn't ask more from you," Buffy said. She knew the woman before her had to be at least in her seventies, but the elegant brunette appeared a dignified forty. The youthful appearance did not take away from the aura of power, of almost royal-like dignity Buffy felt coming from Sheena, and this was on top of the strong sense of the witch's power Buffy could clearly sense. "You're already letting me borrow your beautiful veil."

The veil came with a tiara made of white gold that was shaped in delicate round-edged triangles, joining in the center to form a trinity knot. The knot itself was studded with sparkling stones that Buffy suspected to be real diamonds but thought it rude to ask it to be confirmed.

Sheena approved of the humbleness. "I would like to take you to a studio run by one of our family. We should consider taking a taxi there as it is quite a distance from here, but I believe you might find something in a style similar to the veil there. Seeing as I shall do nothing but gain you a family discount, I think you could accept that."

Buffy smiled. "I never say no to family discounts." She sighed then and turned to Cordelia. "I think we should go. I didn't find anything here for me, and I didn't see you liking anything, either."

"No, nothing spoke to me here." Cordelia nodded, making a dissatisfied face. "And we didn't even touch the shoes and flowers."

"I d-don't need a dress." Tara was smiling, so Buffy just waited for her to continue. "I'll b-be wearing my mother's c-ceremonial gown."

"I'm happy for you." Buffy gave her a hug. She sensed that there was a long and painful story behind the gown, but she didn't want to pry before Tara was willing to share, so she just offered her support.

That small act of kindness did not go unnoticed by Sheena, though she kept silent.

Cordelia joined the girl's hug. "Will you have time to help us pick the flowers for the bouquet, Sheena?" she asked, turning to look at the older woman. "I'd like to get that done before we travel away from downtown so we won't have to go back and forth."

Sheena nodded. "I have the day to myself."

"Wonderful!"

o.O.o

The women left the studio and headed to a florist Cordelia had chosen. She'd spoken with the staff in the spa and got a recommendation for that specific shop. It was a small one, she'd been told, not part of a chain, and the owner could pull off putting together two bouquets—Tara wouldn't need one as she would be officiating the ceremony with Wesley—on such short notice.

They were greeted by a smiling man, who introduced himself as Daniel, the owner. Cordelia liked him from the first glance, and she liked him even more when he said it wouldn't be a problem to have the bouquets ready the next day.

"Do you have an idea in mind or would you like to take a look at a catalog?" Daniel asked Buffy after being informed she was the bride.

She hesitated.

"I'll take a look at the catalog," Cordelia said. "You look at the flowers and see which ones you like."

Buffy hid her smile at the look Cordelia was sending the man. "Sure, Cordy."

Tara noted the almost-predatory look on Cordelia's face when she followed Daniel to the counter.

"Ten bucks she gets his number," Buffy murmured to Tara.

"No deal." Tara shook her head, her eyes still on the brunette. "That's a s-sucker's bet."

Sheena smiled at exchange. She continued to watch the two as they made a tour and talked about which flowers Buffy liked. After several moments, they seemed to narrow the choice down, so she joined them.

"I like these," Buffy said, pointing at a bunch of white tall flowers.

"Amaryllises," Tara said. "They would look b-beautiful in a bouquet."

Buffy hummed, thinking. She liked the flowers. Each bloom was almost the size of her palm. "I don't think they need any other flowers with them, maybe a bit of green leaves or a vine of some sort, but nothing else."

"I agree," said Sheena, and smiled. "Interesting choice."

"Why do you say that?" Cordelia asked, having caught Sheena's remark as she came to join them.

"The flower is called Amaryllis Belladonna," Sheena said. "Belladonna means both beautiful lady in Italian and poisonous in botany. According to the Greek mythology, Amaryllis was a virginal nymph, timid and shy but with a spine of steel. Put the two together, and you have a beautiful but deadly warrior."

"Perfect description of you, Buffy," Cordelia said and winked.

Tara just nodded, smiling at how perfectly the flower was matched to the Slayer.

Buffy shook her head in amusement. Yes, the meaning of the flower was definitely interesting.

"If you add some green leaves to them, they can make a statement on their own," said the clerk. "Would you like to follow me, and I'll show you what we have on hand?"

"Sure," Buffy said, and they all followed him.

o.O.o

The bouquets had been ordered and would be delivered to their hotel the next day, so Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, and Sheena continued to take a taxi to visit the dress studio owned by Tara and Sheena's relative.

The building they arrived at looked more like a residence than a place of business, let alone a bridal salon. They approached a door that showed no outward signs of being a shop of any kind. Buffy glanced carefully around, looking for a discreet logo, but other than the name of the street and the number of the house, there was nothing.

Sheena led them inside and walked them down a small flight of stairs. There, she knocked on another door that appeared just as anonymous as the rest of the place.

Interesting place of business, Buffy thought. She wanted to ask Tara about it but thought it would be rude, so she decided to reserve her judgement.

A young woman opened the door, and Buffy could see the resemblance between her and Sheena immediately. The woman smiled when she saw who was standing before her. "Blessed be, dear Sheena, Tara. It is a pleasure to be graced with your company. Please, enter."

Though Buffy thought the woman's speech was slightly odd, she could find no menace in the woman's bright blue eyes or her heart-shaped face. Again, she could sense great power and found herself wondering just how powerful the rest of Tara's family was. She did say her power was hereditary…

With Cordelia at her side, Buffy followed Tara and Sheena inside. The room was surprisingly normal though she wasn't sure what she'd expected to find. There was a comfortable-looking set of chairs set around a table. The window behind them was covered with thin white curtains that dimmed away the brightest of the sun's rays but left the room well-lit and cheerful. The rest of the room was empty save for a cream-colored carpet on the floor that Buffy didn't even want to think how hard it was to keep it as pristinely clean as it was now.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the woman said, turning to Buffy and Cordelia. "I am Lorelai, cousin—in a complicated way—to Sheena."

"I'm Cordelia, and this is Buffy." Cordelia wondered if she should offer the woman her hand, but as Lorelai bowed her head gently, she decided a handshake was not in order. "We're looking for a wedding dress for her and a bridesmaid one for me."

"You bring me a bride?" Lorelai's expression brightened with delight. Though the question was clearly meant for Sheena, she was looking straight at Buffy. "And a powerful one at that, are you not, child?"

Buffy raised a brow at the word 'child' being applied to her, especially by Lorelai. She was fairly certain that she was no more than two or three years younger than the blue-eyed brunette. "I am."

"Buffy is looking for a traditional style of gown for her, and a complementary dress for Cordelia, her maid of honor," Sheena said. "Tara shall be wearing Elizabeth's blue robes, as she will be officiating the Handfasting."

Lorelai turned such a proud smile at Tara that the latter blushed. "Congratulations, little sister."

"Thank you, Cousin," Tara said, giving her a small bow similar to the one she had offered Cordelia.

"There is a small challenge, however," Sheena said. "The ceremony is tomorrow evening and in Sunnydale, so we have very little time."

"Oh, dear, that is a challenge indeed. Please, sit." Lorelai gestured at the chairs. "Not you," she told Buffy. "You, I need to stand here and let me take your measurements."

Cordelia chuckled at Buffy's expression. "She doesn't take orders well."

"Yes," Lorelai said, smiling. "I suspect that you are more accustomed to giving orders than receiving them."

"Maybe," but Buffy walked over to the center of the room while the others sat near the table.

"No, there is nothing maybe about it." Lorelai produced a measuring tape from seemingly nowhere. "Sheena, Tara, please feel free to help yourselves. You know where everything is."

"We do," Tara said. "I will be right b-back with the tea."

"Still stuttering, the poor thing," Lorelai whispered, momentarily distracted. She had been one of the many who had been needed to banish the evil creature that Tara had had the misfortune of calling a father. Casting those negative thoughts away, she focused on the young blonde before her. "Now, Buffy, I would like you to close your eyes and try to visualize what you would like to be wearing tomorrow when you walk to your future partner."

Buffy hesitated at first. Then, she decided that she felt safe enough and closed her eyes. She tried to concentrate. What _did_ she want in her dress?

She knew what she didn't want. That was an easy one. She'd seen probably at least a hundred gowns, tried on close to twenty and they all felt wrong for her.

_Okay, focus on the positive,_ she told herself. The veil and tiara. She loved that piece on sight. She could see it on her head, her hair gathered back. Buffy thought she would like to have her neck exposed. She knew few could see the scar at the base of her throat, but Angel would, and she wanted to show it off.

_Progress,_ she thought. _What else?_

Full-length skirt, she decided, perhaps one that would trail behind her like a princess or a noble woman.

"Good, I can see that you have an idea forming," Lorelai said softly. Tara showed her the veil Buffy would be wearing while Buffy centered herself, and Lorelai's interest was piqued. Sheena wouldn't have approved unless the girl was special. Feeling the vibes coming from Buffy, Lorelai had to agree. She would have to speak to Sheena later and find out everything about her, but for now, she had a job to do.

"Try to visualize details that you like instead of focusing on the overall look," she instructed. "Don't worry about putting them together, just think of which elements appeal to you."

Buffy thought about the trinity knot in the tiara. She loved the delicate lines of the shape as well as the meaning. Eternity. No beginning or end. Balance. She loved the lacing detail on the edges of the veil. Could they be incorporated into the dress perhaps?

Suddenly, the image of another dress popped into her mind. Like so many other things in her life, the Halloween costume had turned out to be cursed, but there were still some positive memories about it. Buffy thought about how much she loved the feeling of wearing it at first. It made her feel like a princess. True, the curse had turned her into a clueless, helpless idiot and had nearly gotten her killed on that Halloween, but the cleavage the dress had given her was very nice. She smiled inwardly when she remembered how appreciative Angel had been of the effect the corset had on her breasts. _Definitely a keeper there._

"Good, Buffy," Lorelai murmured.

Buffy almost didn't hear her. She imagined long sleeves. It would be a cold January night, after all, and she definitely didn't want to be shivering when she stood next to Angel. She also wanted it to have a square cut, just like the Halloween dress had.

Cordelia gasped when Buffy's attire—a white sweater and black pants—began to shimmer. Lorelai seemed to be chanting something, but it was much too quiet for her to hear. If she could tear her eyes away from the magic happening before her, she might have seen the pleased smiles on Sheena's and Tara's faces, but she couldn't look away.

"Open your eyes," Lorelai instructed. She gestured at a mirror that wasn't there when they first came in. "Take a look and tell me what you think."

Buffy glanced down and started. She was definitely not in Kansas anymore. In place of the pants she'd been wearing just moments ago, there was a pristine white skirt. She was barefoot, and she could see the lacey edges of the veil Sheena had lent her. Slowly, she took the few steps that put her in front of the mirror and looked at her own reflection.

"Wow," she breathed.

The dress was all in pure, bright white. It had a square cut opening, just like the one she'd wanted. Coming down from it, silver silk ribbons laced in a crisscross pattern that ended just below her waist. The ribbons trailed off, reaching to the middle of the floor-length skirt. Beneath the silver ribbon crisscross, the white fabric was covered with a layer of lace that Buffy thought had to be Irish. If she looked carefully, she could detect the trinity knot worked into the embroidery of the pattern that echoed the trinity knot. The sleeves were fitted up to her elbows, where they flared in a medieval—or was it Celtic?—style.

"I improvised with the back," Lorelai said from behind her, making Buffy turn and look at the reflection of her backside in the mirror. "Hmm…I think the edging should match."

With a wave of Lorelai's hand, Buffy saw the lacing at the back turn from white to silver to match the front. It was done in the same crisscross pattern that made her think of a corset.

"So should the edging on the décolletage," the brunette witch decided. "And I think the corset could work here."

Buffy felt tightening around her torso as a corset appeared there, but she definitely appreciated the effect it had on her cleavage. Nodding in approval, she watched as silver fabric replaced the white on the edges of the square cut front and the sleeves. The color was the exact shade as the tiara on her hair. "It's beautiful."

Cordelia nodded in silent agreement.

"Beautiful work, as always, Lorelai," Sheena said with approval.

Tara was speechless. The dress was truly a work of art. She'd seen what her cousin could do before, but she still felt amazed seeing this creation coming to life. It was perfect. For Buffy, for Angel, for the ceremony. "Perfect," she managed to murmur eventually.

"Something tells me that your betrothed is going to provide you with just the right jewelry," Lorelai said. "If I have your approval, I shall start working on the dress."

"What?" Buffy was finally able to look away from her own reflection when her mind caught up to the words spoken. "Working?"

"What do you mean work?" Cordelia asked.

"This is just a mockup," Lorelai explained. "Now that I have the visual, I can get to work on the actual garment."

Buffy couldn't help the cry of disappointment that escaped her when, in the next breath, she was back in her pants and sweater.

"Now, I will send you to Pierre for hair and makeup," Lorelai said.

Sheena made a sound of approval. Pierre was an artist in his field as much as Lorelai was in hers.

"He's not of the family," Lorelai continued to explain. "He is, however, the only one I trust to do justice with one of my dresses. Tara?"

"Yes, Cousin?"

"Please go to my work room. At my desk, look inside the second drawer from the bottom. There's a box inside, bring it here."

Buffy frowned a bit when Tara obeyed immediately and without question. She didn't like anyone ordering Tara around, even if it was her own family.

"She is fine," Sheena said, touched by the worry and protectiveness she could see in Buffy's eyes. "We love Tara and would never wish her harm or take advantage of her. I do believe I know what Lorelai is about to give her."

Lorelai nodded. "It is time it was passed to her. And what better occasion?"

When Tara returned, box in hand. Lorelai opened the lid. "These are made of silver. They belonged to your mother."

Tara reached inside and gently caressed the metal. It was a complete set of jewelry worn by a High Priestess: a headband, a pair of earrings, two armbands, a bracelet, a ring, and a pendant Tara knew hung from a very long chain. When worn in a single round around her neck, the pendant would reach under the center of her chest. Each piece carried symbols of their magicks and heritage, but for Tara, all of them carried the love of her family and the memory of her mother. "Thank you."

"Blessed be, Cousin," Lorelai said. "May your mother's spirit always bless your hands."

"Blessed be," Tara said through tears as she hugged Lorelai tightly.

"Now, Cordelia." Lorelai released Tara and turned to look at the bridesmaid. "Come stand before the mirror and see what kind of dress we're making for you."

o.O.o

"You're a d-demon, Cordelia," Tara said as she collapsed on the couch in the small living area of the hotel suite Angel had arranged for them. Her feet were aching from what must have been ten miles of walking in search for the right shoes for all three of them. Tara had tried telling them that she really didn't need another pair of shoes, but it had gotten her such shocked gazes from Buffy and Cordelia that she realized it was a lost cause. So she walked. And walked. And witnessed as they tried on more shoes than she'd ever owned in her entire life. "A shoe-searching, dress-shopping, fashion-forward demon."

"Am not and never want to be, thank you very much," Cordelia replied with a small wince. "I've seen enough of demons to know I definitely don't want a personal experience of that, even a shoe-searching, dress-shopping, fashion-forward one."

"No, you definitely don't," Buffy said, gently placing the bag containing her new shoes on the floor.

Tara stared at Buffy, shocked. "You became a d-demon once?"

Cordelia paused. "Yes, when did _that_ happen?"

Buffy sighed. "My first year in Sunnydale," she said. "There was a huge case of Astral Projection that caused everyone's nightmares to come true." Then she smirked and glanced at Cordelia. "You had the worst hair ever and were dragged to the Chess club."

"No way!" Cordelia stared at her, horror clear on her face. "The _Chess_ club? Uh-huh, no way."

Tara giggled, unable to hold back her laughter at Cordelia's expression of complete and utter dismay.

"Yes, the Chess club." Buffy smirked. "You had the same expression on your face, I believe. Anyway, several of my nightmares came true, and one of them was of me becoming a vampire."

Tara inhaled quickly, all humor gone.

"Yes, that was a walk in Angel's shoes I never wanted to take," Buffy said and went to sit down. She had just landed on the couch next to Tara when a knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it," Cordelia said.

"Probably your mother's gown," Buffy said to Tara. "Thank you again for your help, and for introducing me to your family. They're wonderful."

Tara smiled. "You're w-welcome." Then she groaned as she kicked off the shoes she wore. "On second thought, if you want t-to thank me, don't let Cordelia d-drag us out again any time soon."

"I promise to knock her out," Buffy said. "Wouldn't take more than one punch."

"Buffy?" Cordelia drew her attention. "It's for you."

Buffy saw the huge grin on Cordelia's face and raised a brow as she took the dark blue bag from her. Reaching inside, Buffy pulled out a small card with her name on it and a large flat box.

_My beloved, please allow me to present you with a gift on this most joyful occasion. The stones dim at the shine of your beauty. Forever yours, Angel._

"Angel," she whispered and sighed, caressing the letters forming his name.

Snatching the card from her hands, Cordelia held it for her and Tara to read it. "He's a charmer."

"Open the box, Buffy," Tara said, curious to see what was inside.

Buffy lifted the lid and inhaled sharply. "Oh!"

Tara and Cordelia joined in to look. Both gasping in amazement when they saw the contents of the box.

"Holy cow," Cordelia murmured. "I bet those are real stones."

"Wow," Tara whispered. She didn't doubt Cordelia was right.

"I…" Buffy stared at the white and blue sparkling stones and knew they had to be real. On the black velvet cushioning, lay a pair of earrings, a necklace with a large pendant, and a thin tennis bracelet. Buffy briefly wondered if the metal was silver or white gold. "Oh, my goodness."

"I, um, think we have the blue part covered," Cordelia said.

Tara nodded. "Definitely."

"Come on, try it on," Cordelia said to Buffy, who still stood speechless, her fingers delicately caressing the stones.

Buffy gave a breathless chuckle when Cordelia elbowed her impatiently. "All right, all right."

With the girls' help, the jewelry was on in moments, and all three stood in front of the mirror, admiring Angel's gift.

"Angel has v-very good taste," Tara decided. "And n-not just in his choice of b-bride."

Buffy smiled a wistful smile and brought her fingers to the pendant, tears forming in her eyes. "He's wonderful."

"Yes, your honey's the best," Cordelia agreed, but she was smiling and holding back a tear herself. "Now, we have an hour to rest and order ourselves a snack from room service, so we better get a move on it."

"Why only a-an hour?" Tara asked.

"Because," Cordelia made the word three times longer than it should have been, "we are going shopping for lingerie!"

Tara groaned and plumped down on the nearest chair. "My f-feet hurt." Then she looked at Buffy. "You promised to p-punch her."

"Sorry, Tara." Buffy gave her a sheepish smile. "I kind of like that idea."

"Fine." Holding a pillow to her chest, Tara brought her feet up and tucked them underneath her. "Traitor."

Laughing, Cordelia placed herself next to her. "Come on, Tara. I promise we'll find you something really daring that Wesley would just _love_."

Tara squealed. "Wesley?" It was Tara's turn to wear an expression of utter dismay. _Didn't I tell Cordelia I was dating Willow?_ Then, another thought occurred to her. _Was Wesley thinking the same?_

"Stop embarrassing the girl," Buffy chided, chuckling. She wondered if she should tell Cordelia that Tara preferred avocados over bananas but decided against it. _Let her find out for herself_. "Now get me the menu from that dresser over there. I'm starving!"

o.O.o

The following day, all three girls woke up early after having had a good night's rest as was recommended by Wesley and ordered by Pierre, the makeup artist Lorelai had sent the girls to after their meeting with her. They arrived at Pierre's studio promptly at nine. Immediately after arriving, Pierre took Buffy under his wings and ordered his best employees to take good care of Tara and Cordelia.

Buffy couldn't believe how long it took to get them all ready. However, with makeup, hair, getting dressed, and grabbing a quick bite of food, it was early in the afternoon before all three of them were ready.

"Wow," Buffy murmured as she was placed in front of the mirror for a final inspection.

"Definitely a wow there," Pierre agreed. "Your fiancé is going to be speechless, my dear."

Buffy simply smiled. She could hardly wait to see Angel again. The past two days were almost too long a time to be parted from him. How she'd handled the months after graduation was now a mystery to her.

"You're a true artist, Pierre," Cordelia said, coming to stand next to Buffy. "I'm sure Angel will swallow his tongue when he sees her walking toward him."

Buffy turned to look at her maid of honor and grinned. "And Wesley is going to propose again when he sees you."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, almost regretting telling Buffy about that drunken incident.

"Buffy is r-right, Cordelia," Tara said. "You l-look absolutely amazing. Lorelai was r-right about the b-blue."

Cordelia had initially wanted her dress to be fuchsia colored, as it was her signature color, but Lorelai vetoed it and said royal blue was the way to go. Looking at her own reflection, Cordelia smirked.

The dress was a shade darker than Tara's ceremonial robes, but it was made in a similar style. The corset was enhanced by crisscrossing silver lace ribbons that emphasized Cordelia's figure. The sleeves clung tight to her elbow before billowing out, in a similar way to Buffy's dress. The skirt was decorated in silver stars and was made of several layers of chiffon that felt like a cress on her legs as she walked.

"I do make this dress look amazing," she said.

Tara and Buffy exchanged glances. Though they both agreed that Cordelia looked great, they couldn't help but tease. "Lorelai c-can work magic," Tara said.

"Even on Cordelia," Buffy added.

They giggled when Cordelia turned to glare at them.

"It's time to go, ladies," Pierre said, hiding his smile before Cordelia saw it. He'd grown accustomed to the girls teasing each other over the past few hours. "You all look beautiful, but you don't want to be late."

"Cordelia looks beautiful," Buffy said. "Tara looks ethereal."

Tara blushed, and Cordelia winked at her. "Shall I call to warn Wesley?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at Cordelia's ignorance. "So, who's going to drive?"

After some debate, it was decided that Cordelia would drive and that Tara would sit next to her. With the fullness of Buffy's skirts and the long veil, they argued that she would have more room having the backseat all to herself.

"And don't you dare cry!" Cordelia threatened Buffy as she helped her into the car.

"I know, I know," Buffy grumbled. She settled herself carefully, mindful not to snag anything. "I'm not allowed to cry until after Angel sees me."

Tara smiled at her grumble. "I'm p-pretty should that C-Cordelia said until after the ceremony."

"Nope, no promises there," Buffy said. "I'm pretty sure I'll have more than a few tears by then. I've only heard some of what you're going to say, Tara, and I already know I won't be able to hold back."

Cordelia sighed. "Fine, I'll take what I can get. Now, is everyone comfortable? Good, here we go."

"Tell me again why you're the one driving?" Buffy demanded as they pulled away from the curb.

"You're the bride. I'm sure there's some law against a bride driving herself to her own wedding."

"If th-there isn't, there sh-should be." Tara chuckled. "Relax, Buffy. Well, as much as you c-can."

Buffy closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "I can't breathe."

Tara frowned and turned back to look at her. "Is the corset t-too tight?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's me." She told herself to not even _think_ about something bad happening, but she couldn't help herself. Her last three birthdays had not gone well for her.

"Come on, it's not like it's going to be the first time he sees you naked," Cordelia said, making Tara's eyes widen in shock. She gave her a wink. There was just something about Tara that was so innocent that Cordelia couldn't help herself. She also agreed with Buffy's observation. Tara looked almost otherworldly in her beautiful gown.

"It's not that, though thanks for reminding me." Buffy groaned. "I just want to be there already. To see him. To be sure that he hadn't changed his mind. Or left. Or…"

"Or was a-abducted by a top secret g-government organization?" Tara suggested. "Take a deep breath, Buffy. G-good. Now another one. Excellent. F-feeling better?"

"No."

This made all of them laugh.

"I'm being silly, I know." Buffy glanced down at her hands. Her fingernails were painted a gentle pearl hue that was partially transparent, the fingers empty of adornments. They wouldn't remain empty for much longer.

"At the end of the e-evening, there is going to be a r-ring there," Tara said. "It shall remain there for e-eternity, a permanent s-symbol of your love."

"Angel loves you, Buffy," Cordelia said. "Don't start doubting that now."

"I'm not." Buffy closed her eyes and took a few more deep breaths. "I'm going to be okay. Just get us there in one piece, Cordelia."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Cordelia demanded.

Buffy smirked. "Angel's not the only one who's seen you drive."

"Evil bitch," Cordelia muttered.

"Heard that, Cordy," Buffy said sweetly. "Takes one to know one."

Tara hid a smile as Cordelia grumbled about Buffy always having the last word. Cordelia turned the key and started the car. It was time to go back to Sunnydale.

* * *

_We're headed back to Sunny-Hell :)_

_Hope I didn't bore you out of your mind with wedding-details, but I really enjoyed writing the girl bonding in this chapter. Anyone who was worried about Tara turning the tables, I hope this chapter put those worries to rest. That's not to say there's not going to be some drama, but that one is always a given *wink*._

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death _: finally, it is time for the wedding to take place, but will everything go as planned. And for that matter, what *is* planned, anyway?_

_Leave me your thoughts, people, and feed the Musie._

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**_A/N:_ ** _Last Wed. I surprised my hubby with a trip to Rome, Italy, for his 30th birthday. He had no idea I was planning the trip, and we've had one AMAZING stay of 4 days in this beautiful, history-filled city. It was the first time for both of us in Italy, and we absolutely fell in love with it. Definitely going to make another trip, if only to get a chance to visit Pisa, Venice, and Florence. Maybe on hubby's 40th birthday ;)_

_So with Italy on my mind, Musie has woken up and demanded that I worked on another idea she'd come up with. It's an AU take on New Moon (Twilight fandom), and I hope to get it posted here sometime during the summer._

_Anyway, onward to the chapter of_ Bring Me to Death _we have all been waiting for - Buffy and Angel's wedding is finally here! I hope you'll love reading it as much as I loved writing it._

_Enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Angel stood before the enchanted mirror and couldn't help but stare, almost bewitched, at his own reflection. He hadn't seen it in centuries and wasn't sure what he thought about it now. Was that really how his hair looked like every day?

"You look great, Angel," Gunn said, grinning. "What's-his-name definitely works magic." He didn't really care to remember the name of the shop's demon-owner. He felt on edge every time he caught sight of his purple face and fought to remind himself that the demon was a peaceful one.

"Literally," Wesley commented. He thought about the fact that all three suits were done in mere days then noticed Angel's staring into the mirror, and it made him smile. "Did you fall in love with your own reflection, Angel?"

_I know I make this suit look amazing,_ Angelus said, _but you really need to stop admiring my face and get going or we'll be late._

Angel turned away from the mirror and looked at his two friends. "You two don't look so bad yourselves."

"Come on," Gunn said, sliding his fingers along the lapels of his silver grey suit. "I make this look _good_."

Wesley, in a black modern suit that reminded him uncomfortably of his attire while working for the Council, chuckled. "Like you said, Gunn, the man definitely works magic. He even made you look halfway decent."

"Before you two start a fistfight," Angel intervened, "we should be leaving. There's one more stop to make before we go back to the mansion."

"Lead the way, Angel," Gunn said, catching a glance of himself in the mirror. He couldn't help it. This was the first—and probably the last—time in his life that he had had something tailor-made for him.

As the three piled out of the dressing room and headed toward the shop's exit, Angel stopped to speak to the owner. He'd already paid the man, adding a tip for the supernatural speed with which everything was sewn, but he wanted to make sure that their visit remained as secret as possible.

"Angelus," Ralph said, grinning. "You look very handsome, even if I do say so myself."

Angel held himself back from correcting Ralph. The shopkeeper knew about his souled condition, of course. Few in the supernatural world didn't. However, it was best that Angel did not emphasize the difference between himself and Angelus. Quite honestly, he was surprised Angelus kept such good contact with Ralph.

_That's because the man always made me look great and worked fast enough to not piss me off,_ Angelus said. _Never gave the idiot any tips, though. You're messing with my rep, Boyo._

_Tough,_ Angel replied. "Your craftsmanship is, as always, excellent. I trust you to be discreet?"

"Of course, Angelus, of course." Ralph nodded, smiling widely. "Please allow me to extend my congratulations to your lovely bride."

Angel heard the tone of question in the demon's voice. He hadn't told him who the bride was when he'd contacted him to commission the making of the suits, and he had no intention of doing so now. Though his affair with the Slayer wasn't the best-kept secret in the supernatural world, there was no reason to paint an even bigger target on Buffy's back by advertising her name as his bride. Ralph was discreet enough, but one could never be too careful. "Thank you. I shall pass it on to her. Farewell, Ralph."

Ralph sighed and bid them a pleasant goodbye. He was simmering with curiosity inside him. It wasn't every day that the notorious Angelus walked into his shop with two _human_ friends, requesting tuxedoes to be made within hours for all three because—and Ralph still couldn't believe this—the Scourge of Europe was tying the knot.

"There are some who would pay good money to know the name of the blushing bride," one of Ralph's assistants murmured after the door was closed behind the men.

Ralph turned, furious. His normally-brown eyes turned bright red. "Do I need to remind you that Angelus is a respected customer of this establishment? Or that this establishment prides itself on discretion?"

"N-No, sir." The assistant looked immediately abashed. "I apologize for my slip of the tongue. It won't happen again."

"Better not." Ralph turned to leave the room. "You would not be wanting to join Cole in his fate, would you?"

The assistant's gulp was almost audible. "No, sir."

"Good, now, we have an order for Mr. Williams that needs to be completed by Monday, I believe."

Taking the hint, the assistant immediately rushed to the workroom.

Smiling, Ralph returned to his office. One could never be too careful with one's hired help. Yes, there were many who would pay a fine sum to know the name of the Scourge's wife-to-be, and Ralph knew he could find a nice avenue to hide said sum once received, but he was smart enough to know that Angelus was someone one should never double-cross. Not unless one had an excellent retirement plan, preferably in a different dimension. Seeing as Ralph rather liked the dimension he was currently residing in, he wouldn't have babbled her name even if he had been privy to it.

o.O.o

Angel, Wesley, and Gunn returned to the mansion to find it fully decorated as per Angel's instructions.

"Wow, your little elves work quickly, Angel," Gunn commented as he glanced around at the fabrics, flowers, and candles spread throughout the room and spilling into the garden. He could see that even the pillars that stood in the garden had been decorated and now created a short aisle.

"They do," Angel agreed. He liked the effect. It was grand yet still intimate.

Wesley glanced at the sky. It was just late enough for the sun to start its descent toward the horizon. "It's time for you to bring me the rings, Angel. They need to be blessed, and Buffy would be here soon."

Angel nodded, pulling the box containing the rings from his breast pocket. He handed it to Wesley. "I'll be right back," he said as he turned toward the staircase.

"We'll wait for you here," Wesley replied.

Angel took the stairs two at a time as he went up to his bedroom. _Their bedroom_ , he corrected. As of tonight, assuming everything went well, he would be sharing the master suite with Buffy. _As my wife._

He almost shivered with the pleasure that thought gave him.

_Sure you want to get all that happy now?_ Angelus asked with a clear smirk in his tone. _Release me now, and there's not going to be a wedding at all. Well, there will be a ceremony, but not one of the kind you have planned._

Angel caught a glimpse of the blood massacre Angelus had in mind and winced. _I thought you realized Buffy wouldn't be with you even if you turned her._

_I figure I can always find a way to get rid of her soul._ Angelus shrugged. _Would be fun keeping her too well-fucked to care about anything else, too._

_Good to see you're back to your old self,_ Angel said. _I was starting to worry._

_Yeah, you would start to worry._ Angelus laughed. _You're the worry expert._

Angel lifted the box with the candles he'd instructed to be placed next to the bedroom door and walked inside, pleased to see that the room was just as he'd left it. He wanted no strangers invading this private space.

While Wesley and Gun had slept the night before, Angel used the time to prepare the room. He'd aired it, cleaned the dust from every surface, and had even brought some additional furniture for Buffy to use from the storage area in the attic. He also changed the sheets on the bed, giving into Angelus' selection of red and black silk linens.

Before they left to pick up their suits this morning, he took the magically enhanced silk ropes that Wesley had prepared and tied them to the iron bedposts. Looking at them now, Angel hated the fact that they would have need of them, but he could hope that it would only be forced on them once.

_I don't mind using them again,_ Angelus said. _There's just something about the image of Buffy's wrists restrained by silk that does it for me._

_Buffy does it for us, regardless of restraints,_ Angel argued.

_That's true enough_.

Angel took the candles out of the box and moved around, spreading them on nearly every flat surface he could find. Once all of the candles were lit, he paused and examined the atmosphere. He liked the effect of the candlelight against the white walls and dark wood of the furniture.

_Buffy will like it,_ he told himself.

_Of course, she will._ Angelus snorted. _She's just as much of a romantic fool as you are. Now, stop being an idiot and go downstairs._

_I'm just nervous,_ Angel admitted. _Which is completely idiotic. I'm as nervous as a young groom, and I am far from young._

Angelus laughed at him. _Afraid Buffy will change her mind about banging your brains out? Don't need to. The girl's got the hots for us._

_It's not about sex._ Angel sighed. He was afraid she would change her mind, true, and some part of him still thought that he should hope she would. He wasn't what was best for her, couldn't be.

_Oh, shove it, Angel,_ Angelus snapped. _We've been over this way too many times for my liking. Either you marry and fuck her, or I marry and fuck her, and you didn't seem to like my idea of a wedding._

_No, I really don't._

_Good, now, move your ass downstairs. She should be here any minute._

Angel obeyed and made his way out to the gardens where the ceremony would take place. It was just late enough in the day for him to be safe outside. The sun hadn't quite finished setting, but it was far enough on the horizon for it not to cause him harm under the temporary canopy of vines and sheer fabric that had been constructed in the garden.

Wesley already stood at the end of the aisle, wearing a ceremonial robe of deep royal blue with silver accents over the black suit he'd been fitted with at Ralph's. Gunn stood next to Wesley, in his hands was a long woven ribbon made in blue, red, and gold. Blue for peace, red for blood and passion, and gold for blessings, Angel remembered. Between them, on a tall table, was a candelabra with three unlit candles in it. The three would be lit at the end of the ceremony and left burning throughout the night

Wesley held out the rings that he'd blessed to Gunn. "Keep them safe until they're needed in the ceremony."

Curious, Gunn popped open the box and whistled at the sight. "Damn, you really are loaded, aren't you, Angel?"

"Buffy deserves the best," Angel said simply.

Angel glanced at the rings before Gunn closed the box again and allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. He had the Claddagh rings custom made to his specifications and was satisfied that the jeweler had provided exactly what he had wanted.

His ring was a single white-gold band. The heart was done in yellow gold and held between two silver-colored hands. Three small diamonds—his birthstone—were studded in the crown above the heart. Buffy's ring was all white gold, but it consisted of two interlocking bands. The heart, a red garnet that was Buffy's birthstone, and one hand were on the bottom band. The crown and the other hand were on the top band. Each hand was studded with three small diamonds that completed the Claddagh's traditional design when the bands were interlocked. Their rings carried the same engraving on the inside: anam cara. Soulmate.

Angel thought that, as the rings sat next to each other in the box, they fit together just like he and Buffy fit together. He could hardly wait to have the rings be put forever on their hands.

_Supposed there is some primal part of me that wants her to carry another mark on her body that states she is mine._

Angel gave a brief thought to the original rings he'd exchanged with her. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago—and for him, it was just that. He had lost his ring while he was in Acathla's hell dimension. It had been taken away from him as soon as he'd arrived. Buffy's ring had also been lost. She'd told him that she'd placed it on the floor of the mansion in the exact place where he'd landed. Though Angel had little recollection from his first moments back then, he knew he would have remembered finding her ring. Everything inside him had been focused on her when he'd returned. He liked to believe that the ring had probably exchanged places with him. While he had been brought back form the hell dimension, the ring had been sent in his stead.

It was for the best, he decided. The silver rings represented a different Buffy and Angel than the people they were today. He wasn't as insecure about her as he was then—

Angelus snorted at that. _Going senile in your dotage, Angie? Or was it me shaking in my boots, thinking Buffy was going to change her mind and not show up just a few minutes ago?_

_Shut up._ Then, Angel sighed. All right, so perhaps he still had insecurities, but he wasn't the same vampire he was when he'd given Buffy the first ring, nor was she the same slayer.

_Oh, I wouldn't say that,_ Angelus said. _Her body was definitely the same two nights ago when we nearly fucked her into the wall._

_She'd done a lot of growing up since then,_ Angel said. He had to take a few deep breaths to calm his body down at the memories Angelus was bringing up.

Gunn, thankfully, interrupted his thoughts with a question. "When are the ladies supposed to arrive?"

Angel heard the car pull into the drive just then. "They're almost here." He hadn't spoken to Buffy even once during the past two days and hated it, but he'd made sure to let Cordelia know that he'd had the car scanned and the tracking devices had been removed from it. He didn't want his bride to be forced to use the underground entrance on her wedding day. It was bad enough that she had to have a night ceremony instead of one in the middle of the day as was the custom.

_Oh, get over yourself,_ Angelus sneered. Then he gave a lusty sigh and smirked. _How about we skip the whole ceremony crap and just take her to bed? I know exactly what I want to do to her first._

_No, Angelus, we're doing this by the book._

_As long as the book is the Kama Sutra, I'm good with that._

Angel almost groaned. _Angelus, have mercy. The jacket is long enough to hide my current situation, but the pants are getting extremely tight and uncomfortable._

Angelus laughed but stopped sending Angel images of himself and Buffy in different positions.

_Thank you._

Angel smiled broadly when he felt the wonderful tingle at the bottom of his spine that signaled Buffy's close proximity.

"Don't you dare to turn around, Angel!" Cordelia's voice carried over to him.

He heard her slam the car door and winced only slightly. Cordelia could really be a bit gentler with the convertible. It was her senior, after all.

"He's behaving himself, Cordelia," Wesley called in return. "You have exactly ten minutes before we must start, make the most of it."

"We're on it. Can you send Gunn out here to help us?"

Gunn smiled and said, "Cordy probably needs me to carry their bags. Wes, make sure he doesn't bolt to the hills while I'm away."

Wesley chuckled at that while Angel shook his head. He wasn't going anywhere without Buffy.

On the other side of the mansion, Cordelia and Tara were helping Buffy out of the car.

"I must be g-going," Tara said, handing over Buffy's bouquet to Cordelia. "R-remember what I t-told you."

Buffy nodded. "We remember. You look really beautiful in your mother's dress. And in case I forget to say this later, thank you for everything you've done."

Tara's heart melted at the sincere gratitude in Buffy's eyes. "You're welcome. Ten m-minutes." She smiled and turned hurry inside. She needed time to center herself before she could lead the ceremony with Wesley.

"We'll be there in ten," Cordelia promised and turned to the back of the car. Just as she opened the trunk, Gunn showed up in the doorway.

"Charlie?" Buffy asked, shocked.

"Anne?"

"What are you doing here?" they both asked at the same time.

"Charlie? Anne?" Cordelia looked from one to the other. "Do you two know each other?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Buffy said, smiling apologetically. "I met Charlie while I was in Los Angeles. After Acathla…"

"Oh, I see." Cordelia could understand Buffy's reluctance to mention sending Angel to hell. Then, something occurred to her. "Charlie?"

Gunn winced. "Anne's the only one who ever got away with calling me that. _You_ are not allowed! So, is it Buffy or Anne?"

"Anne is my middle name," she explained. "I was going through a tough time."

"I remember." Gunn offered her a kind smile, giving only a passing thought to the lost and scared girl that he'd seen when they first met. "Well, we can talk about it later. Now, I believe my help was requested?"

"Yes," Cordelia said. "The gray ones need to go up to Buffy's room. The blacks are mine. Start with Buffy's if you can't take them all in one go."

Gunn rolled his eyes. "Bossy as always, Cordy. Ok, I'll take the bags. Which floor is your room on?"

"Second floor, first door to the right," she said. "Just drop them in the middle of the room."

"Will do."

While Gunn reached for the bags, Cordelia picked up Buffy's train. She wanted them to freshen up their lipstick and take a few deep breaths before they began. It would give Gunn enough time to get their bags and return to Angel's side as his best man.

They both paused for a moment after walking inside and seeing the decor.

"This is so beautiful!" Buffy murmured.

"Absolutely gorgeous," Cordelia agreed. "Angel has excellent taste!"

Buffy smirked. "You bet he does, look at his choice of bride."

Laughing, Cordelia ushered Buffy to the bathroom. She'd instructed Angel to add a mirror to it as the mansion was lacking in them and knew that he would have made sure to do so. "We can look at the pretty flowers later. Now, we need to freshen up your makeup and arrange the veil."

Chuckling, Buffy followed Cordelia into the large room. She was amazed at how much had changed around the mansion in just two days. Angel really did know how to work fast when it was necessary. For a moment, she thought about the time when she'd mentioned adding a mirror or two, commenting how the mansion wasn't very girl-friendly. As that conversation had led to Angel's dumping on her, she banished the memories.

Breathing deeply, Buffy concentrated on positive thoughts while Cordelia touched up her makeup and made sure no hair had gone out of place.

"You look beautiful," Cordelia said quietly.

Buffy opened her eyes and smiled. Cordelia was right. She was breathtakingly beautiful, even if she did say so herself. _Good thing Angel doesn't need to breathe_.

"Thank you for letting me take part in this," Cordelia said suddenly.

Buffy turned to her in surprise.

Uncharacteristically serious, Cordelia looked down at her hands. "We haven't been friends before, and I know that it's mostly because of the way I behaved back then."

"We're not the same people we were in high school," Buffy said. "We've both changed. Plus, it's a bonus in your column that you're not trying to steal my honey from me."

"He's a honey, all right." Cordelia was grateful for the lightening of the mood. "Still, I just wanted to say thank you. Angel means a lot to me as a friend. He's almost like the hot big brother that I never had."

That made both of them laugh. "I don't think you need to thank me, but you're welcome, Cordy." Buffy sighed. "I've recently realized that you and Tara are pretty much the only real girlfriends I've ever had."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too." Buffy pushed the sad thoughts about her former friends aside. The wounds of their betrayal would take a while before they healed enough for her not to hurt over them. "I think we're ready."

"We are." Cordelia handed Buffy her bouquet after picking up her own—a smaller version of Buffy's—and opened the door.

Gunn stood there, his hand raised to knock. "Cordelia, Angel asked me to give you something. He said to tell you 'Thank you for everything,' and that he hopes you'll like it."

"Ooh, a present!" Cordelia smiled broadly and took the proffered box from Gunn. "Oh, my God! Angel! Oh, my God!"

"There he goes again," Gunn grumbled as Cordelia's eyes, wide with delight, lifted up from whatever was inside the box.

"Buffy, your honey is the best!"

Gunn had seen the beautiful setting in Buffy and Angel's bedroom and knew that the man was setting some very high standards for the rest of them. Angel's gift to Cordelia, whatever it was, would again raise the bar.

"That he is. Let me see!" Buffy demanded.

Cordelia took out a necklace for them to see. It was a thin silver chain with a large blue pendant. She just knew it was a sapphire as real as the ones he gave Buffy. "This definitely beats what I'm currently wearing."

Buffy had to agree, and she helped Cordelia change the set she wore for the one Angel had given her.

"Okay, time to leave," Cordelia announced after giving herself one last glance in the mirror. Angel had superior taste. "Gunn, you go outside and wait next to Angel. Buffy and I will be right behind you."

"Don't take too long," Gunn said as he opened the door to the gardens. "I don't think Angel could stand not running in here for much longer."

Laughing, Cordelia picked up the flowers again. "We better hurry, then. Let's get you and Angel married."

o.O.o

Buffy felt her heartbeat pick up with every step she took across the large living room. This was it. It was somehow very different and yet very much the same as what she had envisioned before. The banister to her right was draped with white satin that was pinned every few columns with long branches of ivy intertwined between the white roses and candles. Large flower arrangements hung from the walls, intermixed with candlesticks with burning candles in them.

It seemed as though there were candles everywhere, lighting the room in warm tones. Even the central chandelier seemed to have some burning between the glass bulbs. Buffy had never before seen it hanging from the tall ceiling and was certain it was new, even though it looked perfect in the Victorian style mansion. She'd always thought of this room as the living room, but tonight it was definitely more like the ballroom it had been built as originally.

The large windows and French doors leading to the gardens were covered in delicate curtains that were also new. Through them, Buffy could see more candlelight as well as three people standing. Her heart was now racing inside her chest, threatening to jump out at any moment.

"I'll start the music," Cordelia said quietly. "We count to ten slowly and walk out to the garden."

Buffy nodded.

Cordelia gave her a gentle smile. "Good luck."

Buffy could see both excitement and true happiness in the brunette's eyes. "Thank you, for everything." She offered Cordelia a grateful smile then realized just how much she'd smiled in the past forty-eight-or-so hours. She hadn't been this happy since…since before Angel left her.

Telling her to stop thinking about it, Buffy watched as Cordelia pressed play on the remote. The room was instantly filled with the soft strands of music. It wasn't the traditional wedding march, Buffy noted, but a rearrangement of it, a piano embellished with flutes and violins and perhaps some other instruments she didn't recognize. It was a blend of the Irish with the modern, she mused, and it was perfect.

As Buffy took her first step, she recalled the first time she'd seen Angel. Taking her next steps, Buffy thought about the many times she'd sensed him watching her from the shadows early in their relationship. Reaching the double-doors, she recalled their first kiss. She'd been scared to find out his secret. Later, it was unclear to her how she hadn't guessed it beforehand. He was strong and fought as well as she could.

Fighting was something they were both good at. Fighting against monsters as well as against their own emotions.

Cordelia reached for the handle and gently opened the door.

Now it was time to celebrate their failure to fight, Buffy told herself as she walked past the opened door. It was time to celebrate the victory of their love for each other over all of the difficulties life tried to throw at them.

Buffy lifted her gaze and met Angel's eyes a short distance away. Then, she could think of nothing else but him. He was beautiful in his black and white attire. Later, she would notice how the color of his tie was a complementing shade of dark blue that matched the color of the sapphires he'd given her. Later, she might also take note of how well the jacket fit his shoulders, hugging his familiar shape. Right now, though, all she could see was the joy and love shinning in his eyes.

She floated to him, Angel decided. He was unable and unwilling to tear his eyes away from her. She wore a beautiful dress that was both modern and traditional. He briefly discerned the trinity knot at the center of the tiara that adorned her hair.

As each step brought her closer to him but not close enough, Angel wanted to break into a run and rush to her. Any trace of fear he'd felt before was gone. He could see the eagerness in her eyes and had to smile. He allowed himself a short glance away from her face to look at the jewelry adorning her.

_Told you she'd look delicious in the sapphires,_ Angelus said.

_She does._ Angel's eyes flickered to her neck. The diamonds ended just at the base of her throat, below the eternal mark she wore there. _Mine._

_Forever,_ Angelus agreed. _How about we skip all this and move on to the bedroom? I can think of at least a dozen things I'd rather be doing to Buffy right about now._

_Soon,_ Angel said.

Cordelia and Buffy reached the end of the aisle marked by white pillars with Amaryllises and candle arrangements on top of them. Buffy stopped there, and Cordelia walked the last few steps to stand beside Tara under the canopy.

Angel moved as soon as Cordelia stilled. He walked toward Buffy, feeling that the four steps were both too short and too long a distance.

He mouthed, "I love you," and saw her mouthing the same to him before he lifted the veil and brought it over her face. Offering her his arm, he waited until she placed her fingers into the curve. Then, he walked her to the alter.

Once they stood before Tara and Wesley, Buffy gave her bouquet to Cordelia to hold and joined hands with Angel, crossing them as they had been instructed earlier.

"These are the hands of your best friend, steady and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever," Tara began, surprising everything with her eloquence pronunciation.

She placed the center of the white, red, and gold ribbon over Buffy's and Angel's joined hands. They could both feel the slight tingle of the magical power the ribbon held.

"These are the hands that will work alongside yours," Wesley said, picking up one end of the ribbon and crossing over their hands once. "As, together, you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other."

He picked up the other end of the ribbon and crossed it over their hands once.

Tara took the opposite end and brought it over their hands. Buffy and Angel both felt the surge of energy as the power flowing between them grew.

"These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind," Tara said as she made a third wrap around the joined hands of the lovers. "These are the hands that will, countless times, wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow, and tears of joy." Tara finished the fourth binding of their hands and kept hold on the end of the ribbon, infusing it with her magick.

"These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it." Wesley took the remaining ribbon and passed it over Tara's to complete the fifth wrapping. "These are the hands that will tenderly care for you and catch you if you fail." The sixth wrap was done and, like Tara, Wesley kept hold on the end of the ribbon and pulsed energy into it.

"These are the hands that even when time stops from mattering, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch." Tara smiled as she felt the tie fill with their combined energy. The golden strand began to glow.

Wesley took Tara's free hand, completing the circle. "Let no creature, no soul, tear what has been joined by blessing."

"Let no trouble, hardship, or spell tear what has been joined in peace and passion," Tara said in a strong voice.

Together, Wesley and Tara completed the seventh wrapping of the ribbon around Buffy and Angel's hands. The first circle was complete.

Cordelia placed the bouquets on a pedestal behind her and, together with Gunn, came to stand on the opposite side of Tara and Wesley. They joined hands between them, completing the second circle. Then, they placed their free palms beneath the knot.

Tara and Wesley completed the third circle by placing their palms on top of the knot, framing Buffy and Angel's tied hands between their friends.

"Goddess Aphrodite, bless these two souls and bind them together," Tara said.

Wesley continued, "In your temple of love and eternity, let their fire be everlasting."

Together, Wesley and Tara spoke in one voice, "As the power flows through me, so mote it be!"

The ribbon lit brightly for several moments before disappearing completely, leaving a gentle shimmer around their joined hands.

Dropping their hold on the couple, neither Tara and Wesley nor Cordelia and Gunn dropped their hands from each other. Reaching into his breast pocket, Gunn produced the ring box. He gave it to Tara.

Tara opened the ring box and held it up. "Blessed by the Goddess, these rings shall bind you for eternity."

"Wear them with love, with pride, with joy, and with power," Wesley said. "Fear nothing and no one, and care for each other above all."

Angel picked the smaller of the two rings with his right hand and placed it at the edge of Buffy's left ring finger. "With these hands, I give you my heart, and I crown it with my love." He slid the ring fully on her finger, where it would stay for all of eternity.

Buffy felt a rush of power flow through her and breathed out in exhilaration. She reached for the second ring and placed it at the edge of Angel's left ring finger. "With these hands, I give you my heart," she repeated, "and I crown it with my love." There were tears shimmering in her eyes when she pushed the ring down on his finger, but they were tears of joy.

Angel experienced the same rush of energy that Buffy had once the ring was finally in place and couldn't take his eyes away from hers.

Tara and Wesley reached for the candlestick and held it between Buffy and Angel. There were no matches or a lighter, but they didn't need one. Fire was the first skill learned and the last to be forgotten.

Together, Buffy and Angel breathed the magic that lit the two candles at the sides of the candlestick. Then, with their left hand, they each took a candle and touched the flame to the central candle, lighting the Unity Candle that signified their joining from two individuals into a single entity.

"Blessed be," Tara said, a huge smile on her face.

"Blessed be," Wesley repeated, wearing a smile of his own. He could almost feel the love of the couple before them as a tangible thing.

Buffy kept her eyes open as Angel leaned down to her, wanting to memorize the way he looked as he kissed her for the first time as her _husband._

"I love you," he whispered. "Forever."

"I love you," she replied, her breath tickling his lips. "Forever."

Only when his lips finally touched hers, Buffy allowed her lashes to fall down.

A brilliant light flashed, engulfing everyone in the garden with the purest form of white magic.

* * *

_And they are married! Woohoo! *waves pom-poms*_

_I bet you're doing that same silly happy dance in your seats as I did when I wrote it :P_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death: _the wedding night, do I really need to say more? *wink*_

_Thank you all for reading, please take a moment and lave me a review with your thoughts on this chapter. Save an author, feed the Musie :)_

_Alley Cat._


	19. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 19**

For the next few hours, everyone let themselves forget about magic and curses, about demons, vampires, slayers, and fate itself. For a short period of time, Tara, Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn, Angel, and Buffy all allowed themselves the freedom to celebrate love.

Cordelia and Gunn cooperated at the DJ stand that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. In mutual agreement, they slowed down and put a romantic song on as Tara signaled the five-minute mark before they would have to return to reality.

Angel smiled when he took Buffy in his arms again. He placed his left hand at the small of her back, pressing them together. His right hand held her left on his chest, above his un-beating heart.

"I love this ring," Buffy murmured as she looked down at their joined palms. Then she looked up at him. "I also really loved the jewelry set you sent me. Thank you."

"It looks beautiful on you."

"And…" Her eyes shone. "Thank you for making this a dream come true."

"You've made my dreams come true when you gave me your love," he said and leaned down to take her mouth in a soft kiss.

Humming with love and pleasure, Buffy sighed when they parted. The song was coming to an end, and she knew it was time to move on to the next part.

Moving as one, they headed toward the staircase.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Cordelia called after them. "Buffy needs to throw her bouquet!"

Buffy raised a brow. "Really, Cordelia?"

"It's tradition," she insisted and handed Buffy the flowers.

Buffy looked at Angel, who simply shrugged. He knew better than to come between Cordelia and Buffy on anything less than a life and death matter.

"Fine." Buffy turned her back to the others. "Ready?"

"Yes," Cordelia said once she arranged herself and the reluctant Tara behind Buffy. "On three. One, two, three!"

Buffy smirked as she threw the bouquet over her head with perfect aim. As she began ascending the stairs with Angel, she glanced back to see Tara's face as the flowers landed straight in her hands. "Don't have too much fun without us."

Tara blushed at Buffy's suggestive words and the wink that followed.

Laughing, Cordelia shook her head. "Always has to have the last word."

"You bet I do," Buffy called from the top of the stairs before disappearing from view.

Tara thought she heard Cordelia mutter something else, but it was too low to be tangible. "W-we need to p-prepare some things."

"There's still time," Cordelia said, giving one last glance toward the stairway. "Angel will take his time with her, so we can continue on to party for a while."

Tara blushed and thought to object, but Wesley placed his hand on her arm. "We will be ready in time."

Giving in, she nodded and glanced down. The flowers were truly beautiful. Perhaps, she would be lucky enough to find love as true as the one she'd seen in Angel and Buffy's auras. Shew briefly glanced at Cordelia and Gun, who stood together, and then at Wesley and sighed. She wished they all would be that lucky in love.

"Would you like me to put these in a vase?" Wesley asked.

"I'll do that," Cordelia said before Tara could respond. "Ask her to dance, Wes."

Tara's blush deepened, and she shifted uncomfortably. "There is n-no need."

"I would love to have the next dance," Wesley said and offered her his hand.

Tara looked up into his eyes. She saw sincerity and the slightest trace of desire in them. The sincerity calmed her, the desire…she sighed. She would have to address that soon enough, but she didn't want to do so tonight. Placing her palm in his, she accepted the invitation. There was still time before she had to prepare for the spell, and so she would give herself a chance to relax and enjoy the party a little longer.

Cordelia and Gunn stood together and watched the two dance.

"When are you going to fill me in on the new girl?" he asked her.

"Tara goes to UC Sunnydale with Buffy. She's a hereditary witch, with some really great family relatives in Los Angeles," Cordelia said. Then, she frowned. "I think Buffy said Willow introduced her."

"What?" Gunn asked, seeing the frown.

"I just remembered that Buffy something about how Tara and Willow were seeing each other."

"Seeing?" Gunn raised his brow.

Cordelia shook her head, her expression clearing. "Willow met Tara in some kind of group on campus that they were both attending. Buffy probably meant that."

"I see," Gunn said. He looked at Tara and Wesley dancing again and examined their body language. Wesley was definitely interested, but Tara seemed nervous more than anything else. He sighed. What did he know about women? Tara could have been nervous because she liked Wesley. "So how come Willow's not here?"

"Because she, like the rest of Buffy's friends, are all blinded by their prejudice against Angel." Cordelia continued on to give Gunn a quick summary of the way Buffy's friends had treated her while they were in high school, the many argumenta between the Scooby Gang and Buffy over any Angel-related issues, and finished with the events that resulted in Tara's assistance with breaking Angel's curse. "Tara is a real sweetheart, and I think someone had hurt her pretty badly in the past. I'm glad she has us as friends."

"Me too." Gunn sighed as he returned his gaze to Wesley and Tara, who were still dancing together. "I don't want to see them hurt, either of them."

Cordelia nodded. "Neither do I, but only time will tell."

"If they hurt each other?"

"If something is meant to happen between them," she corrected and smiled up at him. "Dance with me."

Gunn chuckled. "I like a woman who knows what she wants and isn't shy about going after it."

o.O.o

As Buffy and Angel reached the third floor, Angel bent down and picked Buffy up in his arms, causing her to throw her head back and laugh.

"I do believe it is customary for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold," he said, the corner of his mouth raised in a hint of a smile.

Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded, trying to place a serious expression on her face. "Then you must, of course, do so, my brave knight."

Angel smiled fully. He loved seeing her so carefree and happy. He reached for the doorknob and opened it. Walking with Buffy in his arms, he couldn't look away from her face as they entered the room.

Buffy gasped when she saw the inside of the room. There were candles everywhere, and there were a few new pieces of furniture added since she had last been there. "It's beautiful." Her eyes focused on the bed for a moment. Black sheets she knew would be silk and smooth beneath her.

"You are beautiful," he whispered. She was more than beautiful, more than breathtaking. She was…

He found himself without words.

 _She looks ready to fuck,_ Angelus suggested with a smirk.

 _Not exactly what I was looking for,_ Angel said wryly.

 _Then you're blind AND stupid._ Angelus grinned. _The woman wants to ride your cock in that bed, and she wants it now._

Angel told himself he should have known better than to try to reprimand his demon. It was an exercise in futility.

Buffy lifted her hand to caress his cheek, smiling when he leaned into her touch. "Is Angelus talking to you again? What does he say?"

He nodded, surprised at both her noticing it and the casualness he heard in her tone. "He's not saying anything worth repeating. How did you know?"

"Something in your eyes, I think. I don't know. It's not important." She shrugged. Then, her lips curved into the most sinful smile, shooting desire through his body. "Let's give him something to really talk about."

"Yes," he agreed, his eyes gleaming as he leaned to kiss her. "Let's."

Buffy moaned when his mouth took hers again. Silky smooth and slightly chilly against her overheated tongue, he tasted amazing. She could feel his kiss all throughout her body, all the way down to her toes. His hands pressed her against him, and she smiled against his lips as she felt him lower her down onto the bed. As soon as the sheets—just as cool as Angel—touched her back, she lifted one leg to wrap around his waist and was halted by the confides of her wardrobe.

"Damn," she murmured between kissed. "Dress. In the way."

Pulling back from her lips, Angel looked down at her frowning face. "Then how about we take you out of it?"

"Excellent idea." The frown turned into an approving smile as she reached for the zipper hidden at the side of the dress and lowered it down.

Angel pushed the dress off her shoulders then and followed each newly revealed patch of skin with his mouth as he pushed the fabric down her body.

Buffy sighed his name and threaded her fingers into his hair as he methodically continued to kiss and caress and drive her mad with desire as he undressed her. She felt a rise of heat up her cheeks when Angel knelt between her legs and took his time taking off the heels she wore, one leg at a time.

When he was done, he just looked at her for several long moments.

She was wearing a delicate set of pristine-white panties and corset that matched the dress. Cordelia had thrown in several more pieces into her shopping bag, including things like stockings and garter belts, but Buffy hadn't felt comfortable wearing them. Now, she watched with fascination at the naked desire in Angel's eyes as he skimmed over her almost-naked form and decided that she would definitely put the other items to good use in the future.

 _The future. We have a future now,_ she thought with a burst of joy.

"You're so beautiful," Angel murmured. He lifted her right leg and planted a kiss at the hollow beneath her ankle. Slowly and with gentle kisses meant to tease, he moved up her leg to her thigh. "The candlelight dancing across your skin…" He met her eyes and saw an answering desire in her gaze as he placed her foot next to his own thigh and repeated the process with her other leg. "Temptress."

"You're overdressed for the occasion, my knight." She didn't move, but her breath was heavier. There was a new confidence in her, born of his expressed desire, which allowed her to continue to lie before him barely dressed, with her legs parted and not feel the need to hide herself.

When Angel rose to his feet again, she watched him with passion and fascination as he undressed. First, he pulled the jacket off his shoulders and tossed it on a nearby chair. Then, he proceeded to loosen his tie just enough to toss it over his head so he could unbutton his shirt. Throughout the process, he was watching her just as closely as she was him.

Passion crackled in the air between them, pulsing like a living being that had been dormant and was now awakening with a roar.

Buffy had known that Angel desired her before tonight, but watching the raw need was both soothing to her pride and like an open flame to the kindles of desire burning in the pit of her stomach. She gave a pleased moan when he finally finished unbuttoning the shirt and removed it, revealing a beautifully sculptured chest.

She rose from the bed, unable to hold back any longer, and came to stand before him. When she pressed her hands, fingers spreading, over his bare skin, Angel's palms came to cover her hands. He didn't stop her, though, as she'd feared he might. He simply hummed with pleasure and let her explore.

Angel groaned when her mouth touched him—lips and tongue following her hands.

 _Yes, baby,_ Angelus encouraged. _Kiss me all over, and later, I'll return the favor._

The idea sparked several images from the day that never happened. Angel had tasted Buffy everywhere on that day. He'd enjoyed her body to the fullest but didn't have time to allow her to do the same for him.

 _Show her how to return the favor,_ Angelus ordered. _Teach our sexy mate how to take care of us._

Even as the words caused more tightening of his pants, Angel refused to obey his demon's demands. There would be time for that later, perhaps even next time.

 _And there will be a next time,_ he thought with conviction.

 _I'm counting on it,_ Angelus told him.

Buffy used her teeth on his pectorals, biting then soothing with her tongue. She loved how hard and smooth he felt against her. Strong and male, and _hers_. Reaching up to his neck with her hands, she raked her nails across his shoulders and eyed the base of his throat. A thought flickered in her mind then, surprising her.

 _This is where I'm going to mark him_. _Mine._

Giving into impulse, Buffy leaned and gave Angel a nib right there.

Angel growled, and his arms wrapped themselves around Buffy tightly. He was pressing her head down in encouragement before he had even realized what he was doing.

 _She feels this, too,_ Angelus said in sudden realization. There was more than a hint of satisfaction in his tone. _She wants to mark us, badly._

Buffy wrapped one leg around Angel's waist, her mouth still attached to his throat, and both felt the vibration of his chest against her body and heard the deep growl he vocalized. There was a note of barely-suppressed violence in the sound, and Buffy suddenly realized that she didn't want gentle lovemaking tonight. She wanted the man to take her, to make her his as he was being taken and marked as hers.

Angel threw his head back in pleasure as he felt Buffy's nails digging into his shoulder blades with enough force to leave marks.

Angelus hummed in pleasure. _She's a wild kitten, our mate._

 _And we're going to make our kitten purr and scratch._ Angel found the idea so appealing that he knew he was smirking as he lowered his hand to Buffy's ass and pressed her harder against his erection.

Smiling against his skin, Buffy reached between them and made quick work of his belt buckle. She moaned when his hands followed through and opened the button. She brushed her fingers against him through the fabric and smiled when he demanded her mouth in a hungry kiss. Distracted by his tongue plunging into her mouth, Buffy almost didn't notice Angel's hands moving quickly between them to remove his pants. However, once he was free of them and had kicked off his shoes, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Buffy." He shuddered at the heat emanating from her. Now, he was settled perfectly against her, and the center of her body aligned just right with the hardest part of his body. "So hot for me."

"You have no idea." She was breathless. Her body began to move against his in demand. That same demand was in her tone when she said, "Need you. Right now. Naked. Inside me."

Eyes gleaming, Angel nearly tore the corset off her body, thankful that modern ages added hooks in the front that made the corset so much easier to remove. He nearly threw Buffy on the bed before he followed after and latched onto her breasts.

Buffy panted and mewled when the suckling motions of his mouth and the tugging of his fingers on her nipples brought unimaginable pleasure.

Angel tried to keep his strength in check, but he knew that she could take him at his wildest. He was being rough with her, biting down on her nipple as he took each into his mouth and pinching the other sensitive peak with his fingers, but the sounds Buffy was making in the back of her throat told him she liked what he was doing.

 _Perhaps she likes a little pain with her pleasure,_ Angelus suggested.

Angel didn't care for his demon at that moment, had hardly even heard him in his mind. He was busy watching his beautiful, passionate made as he feasted on her breasts. Pulling back for a moment, he smirked at the clouded look on her face. She had given over to her emotions, and he loved it.

Her gaze cleared when he didn't return to her body, and she dug her fingers into his scalp as she met his eyes with a fierce look in hers. "Touch me, Angel."

He leaned close to her mouth but avoided her lips, teasing her by tracing the line of her jaw with butterfly kisses.

Buffy growled in warning.

Angel chuckled and bit her just under the jaw. He didn't break skin, but he wasn't gentle. The moan Buffy let out told him everything he needed to know.

 _She wants it rough and hard,_ Angelus said. _Fuck our mate, Angel. Fuck her so hard that she won't be able to walk tomorrow without thinking about how good it felt to be ours._

More than willing to oblige since this was exactly what he wanted himself, Angel reached down Buffy's body and used his teeth to slide the flimsy fabric that was the last thing covering her. He slid the panties down her body and watched her.

Buffy gasped in surprise, a gasp that turned into a guttural groan when Angel went back up her thighs with his tongue and ended with a long lick of the most sensitive part of her body.

"Angel—" Her voice broke on a cry of pleasure when he closed his mouth around her mound and began making love to it.

Angel listened and watched her arch her back from the bed and moan. _He_ was doing this to _his_ mate. _He_ was driving her wild with his mouth. He slid a finger inside her and hummed with pleasure when she continued to emit small cries of surprise and enjoyment at what he was doing to her.

 _Yes, baby,_ Angelus encouraged. _Let them all hear how good we make you feel._

As if hearing him, Buffy's voice grew louder. Angel licked and sucked, sliding another finger inside her and stretching the small muscles that would soon wrap around a different part of his body. Humming at the thought, Angel felt Buffy shudder before she screamed her release.

He gently kept the same rhythm of fingers and tongue until she felt the contractions of her body subside. Giving her mound one last kiss, Angel tore the silk tight boxers he wore and finally released himself from any fabric constraints.

Angel knelt between the spread thighs of his mate and paused. She was flushed with her orgasm, and she was incredibly sexy. He didn't even notice that he was touching himself until he felt her hand join his. The heat of her fingers was almost burning him, but the softness of her touch felt wonderful.

He watched her lick her lips as she lowered her gaze to look at their fingers curled around his body.

Angel groaned. He wanted her mouth on him so bad at that moment. He wanted her tongue caressing his most sensitive flesh as he'd done hers.

 _I'm definitely going to teach you how to pleasure me with your mouth and tongue,_ he thought.

Angelus agreed wholeheartedly and began goading him to do just that. _What_ _are you waiting for? Kneel over her chest, grab her head, and fuck her mouth. Can't you see how much she wants you to?_

 _Not now. I want to be inside her now,_ Angel said, even though his eyes were still glued to her mouth.

"Angel," she whispered, pleading in her voice. "Please."

"Is this what you want, my sexy mate?" he asked, nodding downward. There was a confident smirk worthy of Angelus on his lips. "Spread your legs wider for me, mate, and touch yourself," he ordered. "I can smell how much you want me, but I want you to show me."

Buffy gave a small moan of carnal desire. She'd never seen this side of him before. Their previous lovemaking had been all about gentleness and introduction. He was so careful to make things good for her and take it slow. Now, she purred deep in her throat at the confident lover that was her mate.

 _Mine,_ she thought with satisfaction. _This strong man is mine._

She had no place for shyness or embarrassment as she spread her legs wider before him and moved the hand that was caressing him to lie between them. She touched herself but watched him looking at her. She never considered that he might like watching her, but it was clear now that it aroused him. Thinking of him touching himself, her eyes fell to his hand, still moving up and down his cock. She liked seeing him like that, so free, touching himself.

Angel wondered if Buffy had any idea how irresistible she looked with that glint in her eyes and the flush on her cheeks. "Beautiful," he whispered. She was his. Without restrains or conditions, this strong woman was completely his.

Gaining confidence from his hoarse tone, Buffy deliberately licked her lips again and saw his eyes follow her tongue. _Later,_ she promised herself. _Later, I will lick him all over._

Right now, though, she felt that she needed him inside her more than her next breath. She gave him a smirk of her own, and said, "I want you to fuck me so hard I can't remember my own name."

"With pleasure," Angel replied and in the next heartbeat, he joined them in one smooth motion. He stilled insider her, allowing them both to bask in the sensation of finally being a single unit.

"Angel."

This time his name wasn't said in pleading but in warning, and Angel laughed and began to move. As soon as he gave himself freedom to thrust in and out of her, he was lost. Instinct had him pressing his body fully against hers and trying to reach as deeply as he could inside her.

Buffy wrapped her legs around him, moaning when the change of angle caused him to reach wonderful points of her body that she didn't remember existing. She pressed kissed on his shoulders, nibbling sometimes, as words of encouragement unconsciously fell from her lips.

"God, Buffy, you feel so good." He couldn't stop his movements from turning wild, couldn't stop himself from thrusting in and out of her harder and faster. His mouth went to her neck, licking the mark he'd left there so long ago. The mark he knew he would reopen tonight, drinking from, as he reaffirmed his claim on his mate.

She made a deep, guttural sound when she reached another peak, and Angel kept the speed of his thrusts even for her to ride out her orgasm. The pulsation of her body around him were milking his strength away, and he was happy to give her everything he had. He was hers just as much as she was his.

He leaned back on his heels when he felt her come down from her high and brought his hand over her stomach. Muscles rippled beneath his fingers as he caressed her. His hips picked up their rhythm. His body was demanding its own release.

There was something else he had to do before that, though.

Forcing himself to slow down a little, Angel murmured Buffy's name. "Look at me, beloved," he said even as his fingers reached her sex and spread the petals of her body to touch the most sensitive place hidden between them.

Buffy mewled in protest but managed to focus her gaze on him.

"I want you to repeat after me," he said, punctuating his words with thrusts of his body. "What Aphrodite has joined, no soul shall separate."

"What Aphrodite has joined, no soul shall separate," she echoed.

"What magic has bound, no demon could untangle."

She repeated the words, pausing to catch her breath in the middle of the sentence. It was hard to concentrate on the words when she could feel the tightening inside her again, marking another approaching peak.

"With thee, I shall become one," Angel finished the words for the second stage of the ritual. The third part would, thankfully, be performed by Tara.

He waited until Buffy repeated the words and then leaned down to kiss her. He ended the kiss with a nib of her lower lip before his mouth followed her jawline to her ear. "Mark me, my beautiful mate," he whispered.

Buffy smiled as she felt his mouth on her throat again. Her eyes went to his neck, and she pressed her lips to the place where it met his shoulders. She waited to feel his teeth break her skin before she closed her mouth over him and bit down.

The world exploded around them.

Pleasure unlike anything she'd ever experienced took the breath away from her, leaving her blind and deaf to everything but Angel. She felt him pulsating inside her, felt his drawing of her blood at her neck, and moaned as she swallowed mouthfuls of his blood. She couldn't remember what she'd expected him to taste like, but she could recall thinking she wouldn't like it.

_Oh, how wrong have I been!_

She drank eagerly from him, taking his essence into her as she gave her own to him.

Though their eyes were open, they saw nothing except blinding light. Each of them felt that light wrap itself around their still-joined bodies. Like the ribbon at the Handfasting, the strands of light began to weave around them, tying their bodies, their hearts, and their souls.

Suddenly, there was pain.

Angel shot up, taking her with him into a seating position. A slicing like none Buffy had never felt tore at her chest. She released his neck to scream and heard his painful cry echo hers. She wanted to curl into a ball, but she couldn't move, couldn't let Angel go. The strands of light held them together with steel-like force.

She felt tears rolling down her cheeks but could do nothing more than hold on to him as his body shook in her grasp. Only when the pain finally began to subside, an eternity or two later, was she able to think again.

Buffy found herself licking Angel's neck, cleaning the traces of blood that spilled from the wound she'd made when she bit him. She exhaled when she felt Angel's lips moving on her neck, soothing her flesh. A distant thought passed through her mind, telling her that their actions would help seal the wounds they'd left on each other.

Buffy sighed in relief when there was no more pain, and her body turned boneless. Her eyes slid shut. She took a deep breath, enjoying Angel's scent. She let her fingers trail down his back, tracing the smooth lines of his muscles.

"I love you," she whispered against his shoulder, pressing kiss after kiss on it. She was becoming aroused again. They were still joined, and the minute, instinctual movements of her body were causing him to harden inside her.

She gave a small protest when he pulled away from her. He didn't dislodge himself from her body, but she missed having him pressed so close to her. There was something different about him, though, she thought as she looked at his face. It took her a moment to meet his eyes and realize what was different.

"Angelus," she whispered even as she cursed inwardly.

The silken ropes remained, as they were at the beginning of the night, tied to the bedposts. Completely forgotten.

* * *

_It's been a while, I know, and I'm sorry. I ws busy failing my way through my final exams, unfortuantely. Still hoping that I passed at least one of the three._

_Anyway, what did you think about the wedding night? Do you need a change of underwear? *winks*_

_Well, with Angelus free, it's bound to become even more intense. Not too smart on Buffy's and Angel's parts to forget that small detail, was it?_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death _: Angelus is out, and he will play. Will he stop Tara and the others from doing the spell? Will the Scooby Gang stop it? Interesting times ahead, no doubt about it._


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_Hey everyone! *waves*_

_Yeah, it's been waaaaay too long, especially with the cliffy in the last chapter *winces*. So sorry for the long wait!_

_This story has been kicking my butt refusing to sit well with me. I had to do multiple re-writes (still doing them, actually), including doing something like five different version of this chapter. Even though I'm still sure it could have been much better, I had to put a stop to Musie's wining at some point, hehe._

_So Musie's not too happy with me right now, but at least I'm bringing this chapter to you, and I've sent_ _chapter 21 to my editor!_

_I hope you're going to be happy with this chapter and with the direction I've chosen for this story._

* * *

**Chapter 20**

"Buffy." Angelus smirked at her.

He couldn't believe that his plan had worked. He'd thrown every picture—from memory or from imagination—at Angel and did his very best to make Soul-Boy focus on nothing but fucking their mate's brains out. He didn't need to be free of restraints for his plan to be applied, but it was definitely a boost to his ego that he'd been able to avoid it.

Angelus began to move inside her and enjoyed watching the widening of her eyes when she felt him withdrawing and filling her body again.

She was the perfect mate for him. Well… _almost_ perfect.

She was loyal to the bone, mentally and physically strong, and she was his from head to toe. She also had a stubborn streak he would have liked to beat out of her, but it was likely that he'd have had his own ass handed to him if he attempted such a beating.

The only downside to her was her pesky soul. Angelus would have just loved turning her properly in a fantastic display of blood and sex. Unfortunately, he didn't have time for that. Despite what Angel might say about him, Angelus was nothing if not a pragmatic demon. He would use what little time he had to the fullest.

And the first thing Angelus wanted to do was make his mate scream for him. He held her body to him in a vice grip as he thrust upward. He enjoyed the conflict of pleasure and fear that he could see in her wonderfully expressive face.

"God, it's good to be inside you, Buff," he complemented. He'd usually preferred women of experience—hell, Darla had been a courtesan before she was changed, and she only gained experience with age—but Buffy was different. She was his—well, his and Angel's, he had to admit to himself, though he'd never let Angel hear it—and she would forever be his. "Your hand on my cock was good, but it can't compare to the feeling of your pussy."

She didn't say anything, just kept her eyes locked on his.

Angelus knew she was expecting pain and torture from him, and he just hated to be predictable. He bent his head, laved her breasts with his tongue, and saw her eyes following his every move even as her breathing grew heavier with arousal.

_Good girl,_ he praised in his thoughts. She was doing exactly what he'd wanted her to. It was almost too easy. Almost.

Angelus sensed that she was about to push him away and used his own weight to push her on her back. He locked eyes with her and mentally began to chant an enthrallment spell. Even as he went back to her breast and gave a small bite to the soft flesh, he didn't break eye contact.

Buffy tried to make sense of Angelus when he switched to her other breast and matched the movements of his suckling mouth to the rocking of his hips. She couldn't help the small mewls of delight she made as his body continued to bring her pleasure. She watched him with careful eyes even as her fingers came to hold the back of his head, encouraging him to continue. She wanted to make him stop, but she couldn't find the will to order her fingers to uncurl or to make her hands push him off her. He felt perfect against her. Her body didn't care that he wasn't the soulful Angel at that moment. Physically, they were the same.

"You have such great breasts," he muttered against her skin and grunted when she gyrated her hips, causing him to plunge deeper into her body. "Damn, your muscles have a death grip on my cock. I like it." He smirked at her. "I love a little pain with my pleasure, and I think you like it too."

Angelus saw her eyes begin to cloud. The spell was working its way over her thoughts.

Buffy found herself unable to answer. Suddenly, there was nothing but him around her, his touch, his scent, his body…

"My mate." She wasn't even aware she'd said those words aloud until he responded with an approving growl.

"Yes, my mate." Angelus watched her eyes growing fogged with passion and magic. He was capturing her will and enslaving it to his own. It had been over a century since he'd last used this, and never would it be as effective as it would be now, with his mate.

The enthrallment was meant as a defense mechanism for the master vampire. It made sure that minions did as they were told and that servants didn't blabber out his secrets. When it came to mates, the power was both stronger and weaker. Each of the mated pair could enthrall the other with a much deeper control than with a simple minion because of the connection the pair shared. However, it would not last as long as it did with the servants. The enthralled mate would draw strength from the connection and break through the other's control much more easily.

It was easier to enthrall when the other party was vulnerable. And what more vulnerable situation was there for the Slayer than on her back with a man inside her, Angelus thought. No, not just any man, he corrected himself as what he'd recalled what he'd pictured her doing with Parker and later with Riley. With _him_ inside her. Only him. Forever.

_Good girl,_ he praised her silently as he continued to draw her in, pull at her will power. _Mine,_ he thought. _You're mine, in body and in soul. And you will do as I wish._

Drawing on his knowledge of black magicks, Angelus cast a second spell to strengthen the control he already had over Buffy. He would need her completely obedient for the next few minutes, so he took no chances that his strong-willed mate would break through the enthrallment too soon.

With every move of his body, with every caress of his hands over her skin, Buffy felt her thoughts revolve solely around her mate. Pleasing him and being pleasured by him was suddenly much more important than anything else that was happening around her.

A part of Buffy was still trying to make sense of things, but she found that she couldn't do anything other than love her mate. Something insider her told her that the situation wasn't right, that the eyes were too powerful, but the sense of wrongness was too weak when it was confronted by the onslaught of the spell. Other thoughts took over. Thoughts about how this strong and powerful male was her mate, belonging completely to her. Forever.

"Mine," she nearly growled the word. She wrapped her legs around her mate's body, holding him with all of the strength her body possessed, and repeated, "Mine."

Angelus smirked approvingly. There was still enough of her will, he noticed, for some of her fear and shock to seep into her eyes when he grabbed her thighs. He saw her holding her breath and chanted the last line of the spell. As soon as the last word had been spoken in his thoughts, he saw desire replace all other emotions in her eyes.

He reversed their positions and planted himself firmly inside her.

"Ride me, my mate," he ordered, his hands already encouraging her to move. "Show me how hard you can fuck your mate."

Her eyes widened again. This time it was with delight and arousal, not fear. She began rocking back and forth, testing which movement felt best. Soon, she found the rhythm that brought the most pleasure, and her eyelids fell shut as she gave herself over to desire. Her entire world reduced to the small space that was the two of them on the bed, moving as a single body.

"Yes, just like that, baby," Angelus encouraged. He lifted his hands to her breasts and began massaging them, every now and then squeezing the nipples between his fingers as he drew moan after moan from her. He smirked when she threw her head back and began riding him hard and fast, as he'd wanted her to, as he'd demanded that she did.

She was magnificent, and Angelus again called his soul a fool for even thinking about giving her up. Angelus would never allow this.

"Lean down to me," he ordered, adding a press of his hand on her back. "I want to suck you as you fuck me."

Buffy obeyed and made a small sound in the back of her throat when his teeth grazed her sensitive skin. The change in angle also meant that he was now rubbing against her clitoris with every movement of her body, and within seconds, Buffy was thrown over the edge.

"Yes, scream for me." He pressed his hand on her buttocks and pushed her to ride him even harder. "I want the entire universe to hear how much you enjoy your mate."

She was absolutely breathtaking when she shattered over him, screaming herself hoarse as a second orgasm followed the first in rapid succession. Her inner muscles contracted around him with superhuman strength that Angelus knew no human could ever withstand.

"God," she breathed as she tried to catch her breath.

"No, baby, God isn't here." Angelus smirked and pushed her to move over him again. "I am." He could feel time running out, could even hear the voices from three floors below rise in chant. It was time for the final step of his plan.

Briefly, Angelus recalled the pain he had suffered while they were apart. Never again, he promised himself. He would make sure of it, and he knew just the way to guarantee so. The spell was a backup plan of sorts that he'd come up with when it became clear that they were not going to be doing the Sorija Joining spell. It was an adaptation of a very rare spell done to bind together two vampires, usually mates. It was rare and only to be used on mates because the result would be an equal dependency between the two vampires, and if one were to die, the other would follow.

Much like the spell the Wicca was performing at that very moment, Angelus' spell would bind his life to Buffy's. With all due respect for white magic—and Angelus had plenty as it was useful sometimes—he felt much more comfortable using black magic when he wanted to get something done.

And he would do so now.

As he felt himself growing closer to the edge, he forced his body to slow down just a bit, earning a growl of protest from his mate.

"Look at me." He waited until she met his eyes again, and before she could speak, began the casting of the spell. "My blood is your blood," he said. "My strength is your strength. Where you fall, I shall prevail. Where you shield, I shall strike. When I drink, your thirst shall be quenched. And as I take, you shall receive. The demon I carry inside me, it is yours to command—as it is mine to wield. Until the final sunset I am destined to greet by fate, you shall stand beside me, my eternal mate." Angelus kept his eyes locked with hers as he spoke, weaving the magic that would bind them even stronger.

More than before, Buffy was completely spellbound as she looked into his eyes. The next words she spoke came directly from his mind to her lips. "My blood is your blood. My strength is your strength. Where your heart is still, mine shall continue to beat. Where your body is chilled, I shall keep you warm. When I weaken, you shall restore. When I a sword wield, you shall defend and protect. When I thirst, you shall quench. And as I receive, you shall take. The magic I carry inside me, it is yours to command—as it is mine to wield. Until the final sunset I am destined to greet by fate, you shall stand beside me, my eternal mate."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Angelus pressed her head to his neck and leaned up to meet hers. They proceeded to mark each other for the second time that evening, sealing the vow they'd just spoken to each other and, just like the first time, as soon as teeth pierced skin, their bodies exploded in pleasure. They flew into one of the most powerful releases either of them would ever experience.

Buffy's heart stuttered in her chest and stopped for a crucial second as the voices from the first floor suddenly rose to echo in the bedroom.

Tara's voice was joined by Wesley's as they chanted the final stage of the binding ritual.

The two lovers on the bed were completely blind and deaf as the fire of the dimming candles in the room suddenly rose in one large flame.

Downstairs, Cordelia touched the candle she was holding to the herbs in the ceremonial bowl and lit them as she had been instructed to do. Gunn then dropped the crystal ball he'd held into the fire and watched as the flames obscured it completely.

Wesley placed his hand next to the flames as he finished his part. He nodded, and Cordelia and Gunn placed their hands next to his. They could all feel the warmth of the fire, but there was no pain from the flames that began to engulf their hands.

Tara's eyes turned silver in color as she reached the peak of the spell. The Blessing of Soulmates was pure white magic which few alive could perform. She began to shimmer with white light, nearly blinding the others with its purity.

As soon as she spoke the final word, Tara thrust her hand into the flames and touched the glowing orb in its center.

The orb grew impossibly brighter, blinding all who were inside the mansion for several immeasurable moments. They all felt the power of the spell pass through them, but none of the gathered on the first floor of the mansion saw the pillar of golden light rising above to reach the two lovers on the third floor. Buffy and Angelus were still intertwined, teeth embedded in each other's neck, when the magical light filled them, tying the two souls for all of eternity.

o.O.o

Angel slowly regained consciousness as he felt the last remnants of the spell drain away. It felt similar to the last time he'd had his soul gifted back to him—the sense of disorientation, the lapse in memory. This time it was simpler, though. Only minutes had passed this time, he knew, not months.

As he gained back the sense of smell and touch and sight, Angel found that he was holding Buffy in his arms, his mouth at her neck, licking close another mark. It wasn't the one he had given her earlier that evening, and he felt more than a small twinge of jealousy at the thought of Angelus leaving his mark on her as well. Then, Angel took note that he was not only holding Buffy very close, he was also still lodge deep inside her warm body, her strong legs and arms wrapped around him. He felt his chest rumble with a satisfied growl as he realized that Buffy's mouth was on his neck, mimicking his own actions. Warmth spread through him. He would be carrying her mark just as she would be carrying his.

There was complete silence in the room, and Angel was reluctant to break it. He reached for a blanket and wrapped it around their still-joined bodies. He might not feel cold, but Buffy could and would, especially as he was not about to release his hold on her. He could practically _feel_ her approval when the soft duvet touched her skin. He did feel her heartbeat, slow and steady against his chest. The beat was almost too loud in his ears.

"Angel?" Buffy finally murmured. She wondered what she should say, what she _could_ say. Her thoughts were still slightly jumbled, and her feelings were in no better state. She didn't regret, exactly, what she'd done with Angelus. It felt somehow right that it had to happen, but she feared Angel's response.

Angel hummed in response, smiling when the beating of her heart against his chest picked up its rhythm in response. He knew that there was plenty for him to worry about—there had to be consequences to summoning so much magic at one time—but, for now, he simply wanted to enjoy his mate without troubling thoughts crowding his mind and overshadowing the beautiful moment.

"I love you," he whispered to her and gently nibbled her earlobe, feeling his arousal begin to stir.

"I love you, too." Buffy took a deep breath and pulled back far enough away to meet his eyes. "I… Angelus…" She was lost for words, but she refused to be a coward and let this hang heavy between them.

Angel saw the worry and guilt on her face and silenced her with a gentle kiss on her lips. "I should have known he would take the opportunity to have you. In fact, I'm glad that he had focused on you rather than on the others. I can't say I'm not a little jealous, though."

"You're not…mad?" she whispered.

"No, beloved." He brushed away the strand of hair that fell on her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I will, however, make sure that we don't leave this bed before I claim back what is mine."

The glint of desire in his gaze sparked her own. As Buffy felt him harden inside her, liquid fire burst in her veins. It was so strong she knew she should have questioned it, but she couldn't care about that now. She was too happy that things were finally going their way.

A thought occurred to her then, and she pulled slightly back, smiling at his growl of protest. "You know, in a way, you're two parts of a whole."

"Oh, really?" Angel pressed his hand against her lower back and smirked at her when her breath hitched at the deepening of his penetration. "How is that?"

"You and Angelus are two sides to one coin," Buffy explained, struggling to keep her train of thought in order. It wasn't easy as the better part of her wanted to focus on Angel and what his body was doing to hers. "You are his conscience, and he is your inner beast. You couldn't exist now without the demon, but the demon wouldn't have had a body to inhabit without the soul, in the first place."

Angel paused. Thinking about what she said caused his lust to subside slightly. "You always said we were two different people…" His words trailed off as he puzzled at what she was trying to say.

"You are, and you aren't." Buffy bit her lip as she tried to find the correct words to explain what she was thinking. "At first—right after the change—Angelus was in control, and you, your soul, was gone. You aren't responsible for what he's done with your body while you weren't in it. I hate that you feel you're to blame for his sins because you're not."

He considered that. "I suppose I can see where you're coming from. I still have the memories, though, so I can't help but feel the regret."

"You're allowed to have regrets, but please, try not to feel guilty." She looked at him sternly. "You're not to blame."

"I'll try." That was the best he could do.

She nodded, accepting that. "Then, after Acathla, after you came back from hell...something changed. You were still separate but you were sharing too much to remain completely detached. I think you began to influence Angelus as much as he tried to influence you."

"Interesting theory," Angel murmured. "Angelus has been acting oddly, and I could never really understand why. I always thought that it was you."

"Me?" Buffy stared at him, dumbstruck. "How?"

"Yes, you." He smiled. "I always thought that he was just as in love with you as I am, which definitely pissed him off."

She chuckled. "I can imagine that."

"Perhaps it is as you say, the two of us slowly influencing each other." His smile turned sinful, awakening the cinders of her desire. "I'm still going to take you again, though. Angelus and I being two sides or not, you're mine, and I feel like proving it to you."

Buffy shivered at his tone as it caused a slow and demanding pulse to begin beating between her legs. "Then how about we stop talking?"

"Why?" He used his hands to guide her to rock on top of him. "Talking doesn't mean I can't claim my mate."

Buffy's answering smirk was just as sensual as his. "I bet I could make you lose your tongue."

"I'd rather have yours anyway," he murmured and took her mouth with his.

o.O.o

The drone hovering over the St. Crawford mansion made another lap around the tall building, filming each of the dozens of windows as it passed across them. Riley Finn monitored the images streaming from the drone to his panel with care. At the altitude the drone was flying, sound transmission was completely impractical. Besides, they had to make sure the drone was far enough not to be detected by any of the occupants of the mansion.

Riley raised his hand to signal his team to prepare. He would wait ten more minutes just to be absolutely certain before he ordered the attack. He'd gone through one very unpleasant conversation with his commanding officer for his allowing the targets to evade surveillance, and he wasn't keen on repeating the experience. Not to mention that, given what Riley knew of the Initiative, he was likely to end up on the cancellation list rather than receive a second talking to. He hadn't survived seven years in the organization just to be cancelled because of a little blonde with a vampire fetish. He was meant for much greater things.

Therefore, he would wait and make sure he was absolutely certain that all of his ducks were in a row before giving the green light to his team.

As the silence stretched, broken only by the odd chirping of some small creature, Riley continued to monitor the screen before him. It was about time he caught a lucky break after all of the disappointments this task had caused the Initiative. If he could succeed where others had failed—and he would succeed; there was simply no other option—it would pave the way for a promotion for him.

Thinking of his own streak of bad luck, Riley cursed under his breath. The tracking device he'd placed on Angel's car lost signal within less than twenty-four hours after being placed, which could mean either it had been discovered or something had damaged it accidentally. The people he'd assigned to watch over the campus had reported seeing none of their targets, which meant they'd gone into hiding. Then, every source of Riley's had come up empty regarding Angel's possible Sunnydale residence.

His luck had changed, however, when he decided to try his newest contact. Alexander "Xander" Harris. The gamble had paid off in spades, and now Riley was armed with more than just the drone and the standard technology. Apparently, the Slayer's friends had grown tired of her association with the vampire, and they were willing and able to assist in eliminating him.

Using the information gathered from Xander, a drone had been deployed to monitor the mansion. The heat signatures picked up by the drone indicated the presence of five people and one vampire inside the building. As the mission profile was set, each member of Riley's team received his debriefing on his personal panel while they stocked up on weapons and ammo.

It took surprisingly little time to set the profile and deploy, even for the Initiative, Riley thought. _Then again, we had unexpected help this time_. He was smiling when he thought about the source of the help. He didn't trust magic where old-fashioned drugs would do, but there was no harm in relying on a combination of both. As he saw the signal that Buffy's friends had done their part, he signaled to his men.

It was time to move.

o.O.o

"Riley," Giles greeted the man standing in his doorway. "Please, come in."

"Thank you."

Riley walked into the small apartment and was not surprised to find Xander and Willow already waiting for him in the living room. Third person in the room was Anya—Xander's girlfriend and an ex-vengeance demon—and Riley recognized her from the surveillance pictures he'd seen.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Willow asked politely.

"No, thank you," Riley said. "I'm sure you're all anxious to hear how things went last night."

"We are," Giles said, coming to stand next to the teens. "Please, sit down."

Riley chose to sit next to Willow on the sofa and noticed the faint blush on the girl's face. This was almost too easy. "I'll get right to the point. We got Angel. You don't need to worry about him anymore."

Willow released a breath. Xander exchanged a smile with Anya.

"What about Buffy?" Giles asked. He knew his Slayer well enough to worry about her reaction to her demon lover being attacked.

"Here is where I'm afraid we have some bad news," Riley said. "It looks like you were right, Xander. She's deep under the vampire's thrall. Our doctors think, based on Buffy's behavior, that she has been brainwashed by Angel. While we were trying to rescue her, she fought hard and…" he paused for dramatic effect, wearing a grim mask. "Well, there is no easy way to go about it, so I'm just gonna say it straight. Buffy killed two of the men on the rescue team, injured four, and escaped the mansion."

"Oh no!" Willow's eyes widened. She knew that Buffy would fight tooth and nail anyone trying to separate her from Angel, regardless of the fact that it was for her own good. She never imagined that it would get to her killing someone.

Xander's expression was grim.

Giles swallowed bile as he felt a twinge of fear. A pissed off Slayer on the loose was not a good thing. "Were you able to follow her?"

Riley shook his head. "She used one of the guys as a human shield, making us hesitate long enough for her to slip out. We have teams out looking for her, though," he reassured. "Don't worry about her coming after you. We'll keep an eye on all of you."

"Damn it," Xander muttered. Buffy was determined to cause trouble.

"B-but why would she come after us?" Willow asked. "Buffy doesn't know that we were involved, does she?"

Riley pretended to wince at her hard stare. "No, she doesn't. It's just a precaution."

"Focus your efforts on finding her, then," Giles said. "If she comes here or approaches any of us, we'll contact you."

There was a round of nods from Anya, Xander, and Willow in agreement.

"Very well," Riley said, getting to his feet. "I must be going now."

"I'll walk you to the door," Giles said.

Once Giles had the door open, he halted Riley before the latter could leave.

"What is it, Giles?"

"Tell your commanding officers that if...when you catch up to Buffy, regular drugs won't work well on her." Giles knew that sedatives would have a limited effect on Buffy, and she had already proven to be violent toward the Initiative, not realizing they were there to help her. "They would have to use a high dosage of sedatives to get Buffy to go down. Also, her metabolism processes medication much quicker than normal humans do, so be careful."

Riley nodded. "I'll pass on the warning."

"Also, consider using muscle relaxants," Giles said and mentioned several medications that would work. "I've given them to her before, and the effect lasted roughly twenty-four hours before I had to renew the administration."

"Thank you for your help," Riley said as he stood up. "I care about Buffy, too." He looked down, appearing sheepish and embarrassed by his admission.

"We know." Giles offered him a kind smile. "I know that when Buffy's herself again, she would thank you as well."

"I'm sure she would," Riley reassured him and walked out the door.

_I just bet Buffy would be on her hands and knees with gratitude._ He constructed a very nice picture in his mind of that bitch swallowing him like a good slut. Yes, Riley would definitely enjoy that. She thought herself too good for him, dismissed him every time he tried to make a move. Damn it, she preferred to screw a vampire rather than have him. Riley just knew there had to be something wrong with the girl to prefer a dead body to a human lover.

_We have her now,_ he reminded himself. His little lie to the bunch of idiots calling themselves her friends was necessary to make sure they didn't ask to see her before the Initiative was ready for it. Besides, it would keep the gang on their toes and out of the way for the near future.

With Willow's spells working in their favor, it was almost too easy to get Buffy and Angel and leave the humans in the mansion completely oblivious to the goings on. Riley preferred it that way, though. It was better to avoid civilian casualties when it was possible. Sunnydale's finest were a bunch of imbeciles, but the higher command frowned upon unnecessary deaths that could potentially draw unwanted attention.

The important part was that they got what they'd wanted. The best part, in Riley's opinion, was that they took Buffy and had the help of her own friends to do so. He smirked to himself as he made his way back to campus. Buffy's Watcher and high school friends not only helped the Initiative capture her but, if anything went wrong, they would also be blamed for her death.

If anyone ever discovered what happened, the finger would turn to Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, and Alexander Harris. The Initiative made sure that Xander's fingerprints were on the empty cans of sleeping gas left in the sewer under the mansion, which had been stolen from a nearby military base thus leaving nothing that could lead back to the Initiative. They didn't even need to leave digital breadcrumbs leading to Willow's computer, as she was the one who had provided the blueprints and schematics of the mansion where Buffy and Angel had been. Rupert Giles had provided the spells to cloak the soldiers as they went in and out—masking sight and sound. Now, he'd just supplied Riley with the exact specification of drugs that would keep Buffy too weak to fight back.

It was almost too perfect.

* * *

_Anyone wants a pitch fork and directions to Giles' apartment?_ _*Evil smirk*_

_If you've reached this point in the story and haven't quite figured out that the Scooby Gang are OOC, I think this chappy has nailed it for you :) Yeah, They're not the good guys here. Not really the Big Bad, either, but not good guys._

_I know this story hasn't exactly been all fluffy and calm so far, but I feel I should give you all a fair warning that things are about to get even worse for our heroes. I mean, where's the fun in a story with no drama? However, as bad as things might seem to you, remember that my stories *always* end in a Happily Ever After. I don't mind a little angst, but I hate sad stories (we have enough of that in RL, IMO)._ _Trust me that this story will have a *very* happy ending for B/A!_

_Can't make any promises for the Scoobies, though. Musie's not too happy with them, and I don't think you are, either :)_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death _: we join the Angel gang as they find out something went slightly wrong the previous night, and Cordelia, for one, knows exactly whom she blames. While they debate, Angel and Buffy learn that the Initiative isn't really nice to its guests and that the spell might have had some serious side-effects._

_Have a great weekend, everyone, and don't forget to leave me some love! Musie is a greedy Goddess to worship, but she gives us pretty stories with naked Angel in them *grin*._

_Alley Cat._


	21. Chapter 21

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Wesley groaned upon waking. His head was pounding worse than he could ever remember. To make matters worse, his back was stiff, and his entire body was telling him exactly what it thought about spending the night in an uncomfortable position on the floor. He wondered just how much he'd had to drink last night for him to fall asleep on the floor like that, and who could have been his company that they'd just left him there?

He didn't remember having that much to drink, especially since he knew he was in for a strong spell, but perhaps he'd lost track of his drinking. It was a party last night, after all.

_Wait, last night!_

The groan that followed his jolt into a sitting position was echoed by several others from the people surrounding him as they began to wake up.

"What are we doing on the floor?" Cordelia demanded in a suffering voice, hoarse with pain. "And did anyone get the number of the truck that hit me?" she continued in a mumble. She was curled up in a fetal position, holding onto the sides of her aching head. This was worse than any vision she'd had.

"What did you put in that punch, Cordy?" Gunn asked. His tone was much friendlier than hers had been, even though it was clear from his expression that he was suffering from some pain as well. "Whatever it was, I think you should pass next time."

"Shut up," she grumbled, slowly uncurling and rising to a sitting position.

Wesley turned, moving quite slower than his usual as everything was very much painful, and saw that Tara was still unconscious. Gently moving closer to her, he leaned to touch her shoulder. "Tara? Wake up."

Tara mumbled something, and Wesley could see her eyes moving behind her lids, but she didn't awaken.

Cordelia crawled over to them, moving even slower than Wesley had, and touched Tara's other shoulder. "Tara, honey? Come on, it's time to get up." She shook her gently. Cordelia had learned to handle pain better since receiving the visions from Doyle.

She wasn't certain what had happened to cause all of them to end up waking up on the floor and in pain, but she'd spent much too long in Sunnydale to be too surprised that something had gone wrong after trying to pull off a powerful spell. Or at all. Things in Sunny-Hell really didn't need a special occasion to go wrong.

"Tara, open those beautiful blue eyes for me," Wesley said.

"Come on, Tara, sweetie," Cordelia added. "You didn't tell me that your spell's going to knock us all on our asses, and let me tell you, I am _not_ a happy camper. So you need to wake up so I could yell at you."

Wesley breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Tara's eyes finally flicker open. "That's it, honey, focus on my voice. Open those eyes."

Tara blinked a few more times before her lids agreed to remain open. She winced when she tried to sit up and was grateful that Wesley and Cordelia both moved to help her, supporting her on each side. She could see that they wore concerned expression on their faces. She grew worried. Something definitely went awry, but she couldn't tell what it was. "What…what happened?"

"No clue," Cordelia replied as Gunn helped her stand up. "I was sort of hoping you'd have an idea."

Wesley supported Tara as they too stood, and all four of them slowly made their way over to the chairs of the dining table, sighing when they sat down again.

"The spell shouldn't have knocked us out," Tara said slowly. "Not for a whole night."

Wesley nodded. "Something else must have caused us to lose consciousness." Then, his eyes widened in panic. In the next moment, he bolted toward the stairs, ignoring the aching protest of his sore body at the sudden movement.

He started with Angel's room and, upon finding it was empty, searched the rest of the third floor. They were gone. Even knowing it was improbable, Wesley checked the second and first levels, going into every room on the floor, and even checking the ensuite bathrooms.

"They're gone," he announced when he came back down the stairs. "Both Angel and Buffy are missing."

"The Initiative," Cordelia announced.

"We don't know that," Wesley said. "We have to be careful not to jump to conclusions."

"No jumping involved," Gunn said. "After everything you've told me, this fits right into their MO. I bet they used some kind of knockout gas."

"But how did they find us?" Wesley asked. "We found the tracking device and disabled it, and neither Angel nor Buffy would have missed someone following us, so how would the Initiative know where we were?"

"They wouldn't," Cordelia murmured, realization dawning on her. "No, they couldn't, could they?"

Wesley met her eyes, and his own hardened as he understood what she was thinking about.

"Anyone wants to fill us in?" Gunn asked, looking from one to the other. He glanced at Tara and saw sudden comprehension hit her. "Great, I hate being the last one to know. Care to share your thoughts, anyone?"

"Xander?" Tara murmured, looked from Wesley to Cordelia. "Willow?"

Cordelia's face contorted in rage. "And I just bet Giles was leading the mob, lighting the torches."

"He wouldn't—" Wesley began to say.

"Wouldn't he?" Cordelia demanded. "You know how much he hates Angel's guts. He would, and he did. If we could just figure out where the Initiative would have taken Angel and Buffy…" She groaned and reached to touch her temples. "My head hurts too much to think."

Gunn placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I think the best thing we could do is get some good sleep. We're no good aching and barely able to stand on our feet."

Cordelia really wanted to argue, but she could hardly string more than two thoughts together without feeling pulsations of pain. She also felt exhausted. "Perhaps you're right."

"He is," Wesley said. It was clear from his tone that he was just as tired as the rest of them. "Let's all go to bed and regroup around noontime."

"Um, I-I think I should return to my dorms," Tara said, biting her bottom lip as she messaged her temples. "Someone might notice…"

"You're right," Gunn said. "Come on, I'll take you there." He saw that Wesley was about to argue. "Wes, you and Cordelia are familiar faces here in town. I'm not. If anyone sees me, we can always say I'm a friend of Tara's family dropping her off after a visit."

Wesley sighed and had to concede that Gunn was right. "Very well." Neither Cordelia nor Gunn missed the softening of Wesley's features as he looked at Tara and said, "Be careful."

Gunn exchanged glances with Cordelia, and they shared a brief look behind the couple's backs.

"I'll start looking for a short-term rental place while you're out," Wesley said, already making mental notes as to what would be necessary. "Cordy, once you've rested, take Gunn shopping for a computer. We're going to need one. Make sure that you get all the accessories necessary."

"Sounds good." Cordy instantly cheered up at the prospect of shopping. "I'm off to bed. Nobody dare wake me up before lunch at the earliest." With that final threat, she rose to her feet and left the room.

Wesley helped Tara to her feet. "Would you like to change before you leave?"

She glanced down at her the ceremonial gown she was still wearing. "Yes, it is probably best that I do." She saw him look at her with concern. "I can manage. It's okay." She found it sweet that he was worried about her, but she wasn't a fragile flower. "I'll be right back."

"I'd better do the same," Gunn said. "Tuxedo isn't exactly the right look for travelling, which is what I was supposed to have been doing. Be back in a few."

Wesley nodded and went to make himself a strong cup of tea. Before he went to sleep himself, he would make some calls. Angel and Buffy were at the hands of the Initiative, and given Buffy's past experience with them, their stay would be far from pleasant. Angel was strong enough to handle anything those idiots sent his way, Wesley was certain. Buffy, however…

The poor girl had been through so much, he thought, and he just didn't know if she had the reserves to handle what was coming her way this time. If it had happened a year ago, Wesley would have been certain Buffy would kick their asses and come out victorious, but now…

Wesley sighed. With everything that her friends and Angel himself had put Buffy through, she wasn't at the top of her game just now. And while he had complete faith that Tara's spell had worked perfectly, he had to wonder how high a toll it took on the two last night, and how much of a difference it would make when push came to shove.

Forcing his thoughts away from the subject, Wesley dialed the first number out of several he would need to contact before retiring. He needed to know more about the Initiative, and he wasn't shy about calling in favors.

He was still on the phone when, several minutes later, Gunn and Tara waved goodbye. He gave them a nod and continued to listen to the person on the other end. Things had been put into motion, and they would have some information later that day. The next phone call made sure that a safe house would be arranged for them by sunset. Wesley wasn't shy about using Angel's name and reputation when it was useful. Well, rather Angelus' reputation. It got things done quickly, as he'd had the chance to see for himself just the previous night, and time was of the essence.

Switching off his phone, Wesley took a long sip from his tea. It had more than a little whiskey mixed into it, but he'd had a hard night. _Hang in there, guys,_ he thought as he went up to his room. _We're coming for you as soon as we find out where you are._

o.O.o

Gunn walked Tara all the way through campus and right up to the door of her dormitory. She'd tried to insist that she didn't need the escort and that time was of the essence, but Gunn wouldn't budge. He wasn't letting her walk alone across the campus where they all knew that the Initiative had agents running around. Pointing out that the Initiative couldn't have known enough about her to mark her as a target didn't work. Neither of them knew exactly what the Initiative knew, and it was always better to assume the worst.

Thanking him, Tara unlocked the door and went inside.

"I'll call you around noon," Gunn said and turned to walk out.

"Who was that?" Willow demanded.

Tara nearly jumped out of her skin. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

Willow stood up from the bed and folded her arms across her chest. "Who was that, Tar?"

Inwardly cringing at the ugly nickname, Tara met Willow's gaze steadily. "A friend of my family's. What are you doing in my room?"

If Tara hadn't already realized that whatever she felt for Willow was gone the night she, Xander, and Giles had attacked Buffy, those feelings would have died at that moment when Willow's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she said, "Are you sure about that?"

Tara nodded and immediately regretted doing so as the pain in her temple intensified. "You still haven't answered me. Why are you in my room?"

"I was worried about you," Willow said, and Tara saw the deception as the redhead put on a mask of concern. "You just disappeared three days ago, and no one knew where you'd gone."

"I went to visit my family." Tara looked at Willow. She didn't give her a key, so Willow had to pick up the lock or use magic to enter the room. "Please don't enter my room without my permission again."

Willow's eyes instantly narrowed in suspicion again. "Why? Are you hiding something from me? I mean, I know you have your personal life, and that's okay. I mean, I have stuff I keep to myself too, but I'd never kick you out of my room."

 _You're not listening to me,_ Tara thought, _again._ Had she ever? Tara found that she wasn't sure. "I think it is best if we take a break, Willow."

Stopping her rush of words, Willow appeared shocked. "You're breaking up with me? Over me coming to your room? I was worried something had happened to you!"

"Yes, I am breaking up with you," Tara said, trying to keep her voice calm and steady. She felt like screaming. The main reason she didn't was her fear that the shouting would cause her head to fall off of her shoulders from the pain. "No, it's not because you broke into my room. Well, not just because of that."

"It's someone else, isn't it?" Willow demanded. She saw a flicker of something in Tara's eyes and pounced. "You met someone, and you're breaking up with me to be with him! Or with her? Please, don't do this, Tar. We're good together. I know we've only been dating for a few weeks, but we're good together."

Tara sighed. She was too tired to be having this argument, and Willow was— _again_ —ignoring her words. "Willow, how can I be with you when you don't trust me?" She decided not to mention that three dates, out of which, one ended up with them finding a body, was a hardly a serious relationship that deserved such a fuss over its end.

"I trust you, Tar," she objected.

Tara cringed. "No, you don't, and, please, stop calling me Tar."

"But you like that name!" Willow said exasperated, and Tara wondered how she could be so blind. "I do trust you, and I want to be with you. I know you want to be with me."

It was time to be brutal, Tara decided. It didn't seem like anything other than the direct approach would work with Willow. "I don't."

Willow was speechless for the first time since Tara entered the room.

"Please, leave, Willow," Tara said, opening the door. When it looked like Willow was about to go into another rant, she said, "I'm really tired. I've had a long night, and I need sleep."

Willow steeled herself and walked to the door. "I'll stop by tomorrow," she said. "You're just tired. Once you've had some rest, we'll sort this through."

Knowing anything she said would just prolong the argument, Tara remained silent until Willow walked out of the door and closed it after her.

Feeling tired to her very bone, Tara made sure to lock the door—though it didn't seem to stop Willow before, she felt safer with it firmly locked—before she changed to her pajamas and fell onto the bed. Just before sleep took over, she sent a silent prayer that Buffy and Angel would be safe until they could find a way to rescue them.

And they would find a way. She had to believe that.

o.O.o

Dr. Cullen stood next to Professor Welsh in the monitoring room as they watched the team bring in Subjects A and B into their respective cells. Both subjects were placed on the floor and cuffed by the ankles and wrists. Subject B was also hooked up to several medical monitoring devices to follow her heartrate and to an IV line that would enable Dr. Cullen to administer sedatives whenever necessary. The vampire was reportedly over two centuries old, and the Slayer had already made an escape once; therefore, Professor Welsh demanded extra security measures be taken. Both had been given a heavy sedative and a mixture of muscle relaxants upon retrieval, but the doctor wasn't certain how long those would last. All she could offer was an educated guess, and she preferred to keep those to herself whenever possible.

"When would you like us to administer the behavioral chip to Subject A?" Dr. Cullen asked as the extraction team left the cells.

"Soon," Professor Welsh said. "Dr. Salk is working on some modifications for the next version of the chip. In the meantime, we observe and study."

 _Translated,_ Dr. Cullen thought, _the idiot hasn't found the reason the chips are malfunctioning._ Keeping her thoughts to herself, she simply nodded and returned her eyes to the monitor screen showing Subject B's cell. The young blonde was still unconscious. _Good._ Checking the time again, Dr. Cullen estimated, based on previous knowledge gained about Subject B's metabolism, that she should remain unconscious for at least four more hours.

A man from the extraction team entered the room and saluted Professor Welsh.

"What is it, Mitch?"

"The targets have been secured as instructed. Shall we bring in blankets or some clothes for them?"

Welsh shook her head once sharply. "I want them vulnerable." Then, her eyes narrowed in displeasure. "Why are they still wearing rings?"

Even Dr. Cullen winced, albeit internally, at the tone.

"We were unable to remove them, Ma'am," Mitch replied, his voice steady. "Sergeant Finn suggested that they might be magically held in place."

Welsh narrowed her eyes. Normally, she had little patience for such excuses; however, with what she'd recently learned about the history regarding both subjects, it was possible that magic was indeed the explanation this time. "Very well. Tell James to meet me in my office in fifteen. Dismissed."

"Yes, Ma'am." Mitch saluted again and exited the room.

"I want progress reports every round hour, and I want to be notified when each subject regains consciousness," Welsh ordered and turned to leave. "Oh, and let's proceed with the next stage of Project 3-14."

"Yes, Ma'am," Dr. Cullen said and trained her eyes back to the monitors. There were several in front of her, showing different graphs—skin and core temperature, oxygen levels, heartrate—that relegated information regarding the subjects the Initiative now housed as… _guests_. She again checked the files before her and ran through the calculations. She wanted no mistakes made this time. The muscle relaxant that the extraction team had administered to Subject B should remain in effect for another sixteen hours at least, even taking into account the quick metabolism previously observed. Despite that, she would make sure that at the fourteen-hour mark the dose would be repeated.

Satisfied with that, Dr. Cullen turned her attention to Subject A. There was much less information regarding him in the database. The oldest vampire the Initiative had ever captured was just over a century old, and HST-17 had made his escape before much was learned. This specimen before her was twice that age, perhaps even thrice, and all the data pointed toward vampires gaining strength and power with age. Subject A was given twice the dosage of muscle relaxant as Subject B, but Dr. Cullen still was not satisfied with her guess-estimation of thirteen to fourteen hours of effect since the moment of administration. There was little she could do but watch and learn as time went by, though.

Examination of the physical appearance and monitors of Subject A assured her that he remained unconscious, his body temperature was unchanged, and the oxygen levels inside the cell were stable. She set several alarms that would be set off as soon as the output data from the monitors crossed certain levels. This would be her first indication that Subject A was waking up and would allow her to react appropriately.

Having finished with the vampire, Dr. Cullen proceeded to re-examine Subject B. She pressed a button on the keyboard before her and adjusted the focus of one camera to run an analysis of the subject's physical appearance. It was better if she'd have done such an inspection in person, but having been overpowered by Subject B in the past, she was taking extra precautions this time. Failure was not tolerated in the Initiative.

The Doctor focused the camera on Subject B's feet first and slowly moved it upwards while noting to herself each mark and scar she could see. Most of these were already on record, but when the camera reached the neck, Dr. Cullen paused. There was a new mark, and her records indicated that this was directly over an old scar Subject B had on her person the last time she had been examined.

"Interesting," Dr. Cullen murmured to herself. She recalled that Riley reported that Subject B had been bitten in the past by Subject A, and the doctor wondered now if this was another bite sustained from Subject A or this was caused by a different vampire. The skin had healed already, so Dr. Cullen could not be certain how long had passed since it was made, but the surrounding redness of the tissue seemed to indicate that it was recent.

_Could this have been done voluntarily?_

Dr. Cullen advised her computer, and what she learned caused a new question to come to her mind. Was Subject B addicted to vampire bites? It was possible, and there have been several people on record with such an addiction.

This meant that Subject B would have to be kept from any contact with vampires for at least a week, perhaps two. It wouldn't be a problem, though, as the current schedule for Project 3-14 did not demand for Subject B's cooperation for a while yet.

o.O.o

Professor Welsh showed no emotional response as she watched the screen before her. Subject B had shown signs of waking up approximately ten minutes ago, and Welsh sent Sergeant Finn into the room to _welcome_ their new guest. They'd given her a few minutes alone and observed as she, predictably, tested her restraints. Once satisfied that the restraint and drugs combination was doing its job, Sergeant Finn opened the cell's door.

" _This is taking seeing me naked to an extreme_." Subject B's voice was a sneer as it was relayed to the monitoring room. " _Didn't know you were that desperate, Rye. What, did you run out of Playboy issues?_ "

" _I see you're as cheerful and friendly as always_ ," Sergeant Finn said calmly. " _Are the accommodations not to your liking?_ "

" _Oh, I'm definitely impressed with the décor,_ "Subject B replied. " _All this gray-on-gray definitely fits this loony bin. All you're missing is the padding on the walls._ "

Welsh was pleased that the girl was not easily intimidated. This was a positive sign that Project 3-14 would have greater chances of success. Of course, that spirit would have to be thoroughly broken before they would continue to the next phase, but once Welsh was done with Buffy Summers, she would have achieved her goal. _And those bastards would see exactly what I am capable of given the right resources._

" _Interesting._ " Sergeant Finn's demeanor remained absolutely calm. " _Do you consider yourself to be insane?_ "

Subject B's snort was heard well into the monitoring room, causing one of the techs to struggle to hold his snicker. " _Oh, I have my moments, but I think you're the one missing a few screws. Well, an entire truck-load of them, to be honest._ "

"Interesting," Dr. Cullen murmured. "She hadn't yet demanded to know where she was or why she is here."

"Buffy Summers is no fool, Dr. Cullen, regardless of the company she keeps," Welsh said. "I am certain that she knows exactly where she is and that we wouldn't tell her why just yet."

" _It's a shame you feel this way,_ " Sergeant Finn said. He waited for Buffy to ask him why, but after a few moments of silence, he saw that she wouldn't. " _You should start getting used to the scenery and decorations, Summers._ "

" _I'm afraid I'm not inclined to agree to permanent residency,_ " Subject B said. " _However, if you throw in a sofa, a few pink pillows, and a TV, and perhaps I'd consider visiting for afternoon tea."_

" _I'm afraid that would not be possible,_ " Sergeant Finn said. " _Besides, I do believe that a punching bag and some wooden stakes would fit you better than pink pillows._ "

" _Are you volunteering to be the punching bag?"_ Welsh took note of the coldness of the smile Subject B had offered Sergeant Finn and found herself once again appreciating the girl's attitude. " _Because I would just love to go a few rounds on you._ "

" _No, thank you. I'm not into fucking vampire cast-off's_."

" _No, I'd guess you're into fucking blow-up dolls._ " Subject B smirked again. " _They don't complain at how much you suck at being a man._ "

" _You know nothing about men, little girl._ " Sergeant Finn's voice was quiet, but Welsh noticed the tightening of his face and made a note to bring this up when she next spoke to him. Showing emotions gave the opponent the advantage, and that should be avoided at all costs. " _You will learn, though._ "

" _Perhaps, but you definitely won't be the one to teach me, Rye._ " Everyone in the room saw the derision in the overview Subject B gave Sergeant Fin. " _You wouldn't know a man if he kicked you in the small excuse for balls that you have._ "

" _And you've fucked so many that you can recognize one by the shape of his sac, is that it?_ "

Welsh inwardly shook her head and held back a sigh. Sergeant Finn had more to learn still. How disappointing.

" _Not as many as you have, Rye._ " Then Subject B cocked her head to the side. " _Tell me, did you fuck_ every _gay male in Sunnydale already or are you still working your way up to asking Forest out?_ "

The slap Sergeant Finn planted on Subject B for her words echoed in the cell.

Professor Welsh pressed the intercom button. "My office, Finn. Now."

Dr. Cullen hid her shudder, but the two techs beside her didn't. Welsh's tone did not bide well for the Sergeant.

" _Mother's calling,_ " Subject B said, turning her head slowly back to look at him. The side of her face showed a faint trace of red in the shape of his palm. " _Better run and tell her all about how big bad Buffy hurt your tiny feelings._ "

Welsh pressed several more buttons on the intercom. "James, cell thirteen. Soften her up a bit."

The two techs shuddered again.

* * *

_Things do not look good for our heroes._

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death _: Angel and Buffy are in the hands of the Initiative, and they aren't exactly enjoying their stay, especially as it involves electric shock therapy and knives. And, of course, there is more drama when James gets a little too enthusiastic._

 _See you next time,_  
_Alley Cat._


	22. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_So Musie has been a b-i-t-c-h (nope, Giles, we're not too old to be spelling things!), and she's been shoving Twilight material into my head (which obviously means that once this story is finished, a Twilight multi-chapter will start posting). However, I have recently found a Facebook group that is all about Buffy, and the people there are almost as obsessed with the show as I am - and that's saying something! Anyway, thanks to those wonderful people who shared the Buffy merchandise they'd gotten for Xmas and and made me miss my favorite characters, I went back to this story._

_Fair warning - this chapter is pretty dark and contains torture, though it's not too graphic. Also, there's a cliffy at the end, but I the next chapter will be posted next week, so it's not that long of a wai._

_So, without further ado - here is chapter twenty-two :)_

* * *

**Chapter 22**

The first furious roar came from Subject A mere moments after James entered the cell with Subject B and began working on her. Dr. Cullen watched with fascination as the vampire's face shifted from human to demonic in the blink of an eye, without stopping his growl. She had received no warning that he was waking up; the sound of the alarms she'd set before had gone off at the same time the roars began. It appeared as though Subject A went from deep unconsciousness into a completely awakened state within milliseconds.

Turning her complete attention to Subject A, Dr. Cullen quickly took note of the changes in the graphs. Skin temperature in the areas of the torso and throat rose slightly. There was a slight decrease in oxygen levels in the cell. She speculated that, in order to express his emotions in the animalistic sounds coming from him, Subject A had to take several breaths, thus lowering the oxygen levels.

Noting the readings in a detailed log, Dr. Cullen pressed several keys on the keyboard and watched the screen before her carefully. She couldn't hear the sound of the gas releasing into the cell, nor could she see the vapors as they spread in the space, but the gauges before her quickly picked up the changes in air composition.

She waited. The gas would take effect in a few more seconds, and Subject A would be out like a light.

Subject A went quiet.

Almost holding her breath with expectation, Dr. Cullen watched the saturation meter rise and carefully noted the time of administration in order to calculate later how long it took for the gas to knock Subject A unconscious. She was estimating forty-five to sixty seconds and wanted to know how far off the mark her guess would turn out to be.

Subject A's eyes—still demonic—suddenly met Dr. Cullen's in the monitor screen as if he could see her. She told herself that it was a foolish notion. Subject A could not see her. He was simply staring at one of the cameras in the cell. Dr. Cullen had propositioned that vampire eyesight was excellent, but it was clear now that she had severely underestimated the species' night vision. She had regular, infrared, and night vision cameras installed in the cell, which allowed her to maintain surveillance in any lighting conditions.

" _Whoever you are, take a nice picture of yourself. Your loved ones will need to have something nice to remember you by._ "

Dr. Cullen and Professor Welsh were the only ones not showing any reaction to the cold smile Subject A offered the other three occupants of the room—all three technical assistants to the doctor—stared in shock, pausing mid-action.

" _When I'm done with you, no one's going to remember how your face looked like before._ " Subject A paused, his smile turning even colder. " _And no one would ever forget the look I will leave you with."_

"He is certainly arrogant," Welsh said, her tone almost cheerful.

" _Every mark you leave on her skin, I will permanently burn on yours,_ " Subject A continued, speaking in the same even tone. " _Every second of pain she's subjected to, shall last an eternity for you._ "

The three techs, Kyle, Brian, and Emanuel, exchanged glances. It didn't surprise them that the two women in charge showed no reaction to the threats. Everyone on staff knew that ice ran in their veins instead of warm blood.

"Interesting," Dr. Cullen said, slightly frowning at the data that the gauges were reflecting. "Despite prolonged exposure to elevated gas levels in the room, Subject A remains largely unaffected. Saturation level is at thirty-seven percent. HST Seventeen was already unconscious at this point."

" _I do hope that blond idiot is important,_ " Subject A said.

"Which blond is he talking about?" Brian wondered in a whisper.

Kyle nodded at the screen showing James and Subject B in the neighboring cell. "Do you think it could be James?"

A quick glance told Brian that James had progressed from using his fists to his blades, and the tech quickly looked away. "Yeah, but how could he know?"

The looks on the faces of his two friends showed they had no better idea than he did how the vampire could have known about James' hair color.

" _I will make sure he is taught a few new things._ " Subject A leaned back on the wall, the picture of calmness. " _In person, of course. I am a fervent believer in personal experience being the best teacher."_

"It's like he isn't even aware he's restrained," Emanuel, the youngest of the three assistants mumbled under his breath.

Subject A seemed to sigh. " _Humans just don't live long enough to learn to master the art of torture._ "

Professor Welsh looked more pleased with each word Subject A spoke, and that sent even more chills down the techs' backs. They've been with the Initiative long enough to know by now that when the Professor looked _that_ pleased with something, it usually spelled trouble. They'd heard the rumors about Adam. Though none of the staff currently employed in the labs had been present when the Adam project failed spectacularly, they had heard enough details.

It was Professor Welsh's pet project while she was stationed somewhere abroad. Location varied depending on the storyteller. Some said it was in Africa, tested on the miners of blood diamonds. Others said Adam had been released on unsuspecting citizens during the War in Chechnya. Some said it was even earlier, during the Gulf War. Regardless of where, the rest of the story was pretty much the same, independent of its source. Adam, some kind of horrible mesh of human, machine, and demon parts, was tested on the demon population. The massacre Adam had caused was said to have satisfied Welsh immensely. The problems began when Adam refused to listed to orders and, after finishing with the demons, he moved on to the human population. It was said that it took everything the US Army had in order to stop Adam. Once Adam was destroyed, Professor Welsh was demoted and sent to Sunnydale, or so the rumors said.

"How does he know about James?" Emanuel asked. His voice was just a little too loud to be a whisper.

Welsh was privately wondering the same thing.

"It's possible that we have underestimated the hearing capabilities of Subject A," Dr. Cullen said thoughtfully. She pressed several keys on her keyboard and frowned. "There are seven inches of steel and concrete between the cells. It should have been enough. Should we move one of them to a different cell?"

"No," Welsh decided. She was watching the screen carefully. Subject A appeared to be calm and alert. The gas saturation rose to fifty percent, but it still had no effect on him. Glancing to the screen next to it, Welsh appraised James's handiwork on Subject B. The chains had been lifted to force her on her feet, and now she was hanging limp from them. Her blond hair was stained with red and hung around her face, hiding it from that particular camera. Welsh moved on to the next screen to examine Subject B's face. She saw that Subject B was still conscious, her eyes alert and focused in front of her. "So strong. I wonder how long it would take James to break you."

Dr. Cullen's smile was just as cold as Welsh's. "Not long. James is an artist."

The three assistants exchanged yet another look. They had seen what James could do, and neither would call it art. The senior assistants, Brian and Kyle, had learned to look away and shut out any thoughts about James' handiwork, but Emanuel still suffered from nightmares from time to time. Neither of the three dared say a word. They all knew that it could land them on the other end of James' knives, and that was one place they'd all do everything to avoid.

o.O.o

Angel went from a complete absence of all emotions to a world that consisted solely of agony. He roared in pain and rage. A part of him recognized that the pain he was suffering wasn't his own but that of his mate, but that made little difference. Loud, angry roars that would have deafened a human had one been with him in the cell came from Angel's chest for several long moments before he was able to gain control over himself.

It was just in time to notice that whatever bastards had taken him were releasing something into his cell.

Immediately, Angel stopped breathing. Hid mind—and Angelus' thoughts in it—were still in turmoil.

They were hurting his mate. _His wife._

_They would pay._

_With their lives,_ Angelus agreed.

Gritting his teeth, Angel gave the cell a quick look. He noted nothing inside the gray cubicle except himself, the restraints that were keeping him nearly pinned to the wall, and several cameras pointed at him. _So, there are eyes in the sky._

"Whoever you are, take a nice picture of yourself. Your loved ones will need to have something nice to remember you by." He gave them—the Initiative, he had no doubt—a cold smile meant to chill them and kept his eyes on the lens of the camera in the top corner of the cell. "When I'm done with you, no one's going to remember how your face looked like before." The smiled turned icy as he vowed, "And no one would ever forget the look I will leave you with."

He would enjoy hurting Riley. He'd have had his hide for the fact that he dared to touch his mate, but Riley was just lucky enough to be part of the Initiative, and Angel would take great delight in torturing to death every single creature involved in this. He didn't care how many of them were human. Their lives were forfeit the moment they laid a finger on Buffy.

"Every mark you leave on her skin, I will permanently burn on yours." He kept his voice even, knowing it would have more effect on them. "Every second of pain she's subjected to, shall last an eternity for you."

_Angel…_

He started, never expecting to hear a female's voice in his mind. _Buffy?_

_Hurt. Initiative got us._

_I know, Beloved. I'm sorry they're hurting you, but they'll pay._ Angel fisted his hands. He could hear the pain in Buffy's mental voice and knew things were just as bad as he'd feared.

_Sadistic,_ she said.

_They are,_ he agreed. _Soon to be dead._ He let some of the fury he felt seep into his voice.

_No, this one._ Buffy paused, and Angel felt a slash across his ribs.

_What does he look like?_ Angelus demanded. _He's going to the top of my list of people to torture and kill._

Angel felt surprise coming from Buffy. Then, he sensed that she was steeling herself for something and tensed himself.

_Blond,_ Buffy replied. _Might give you a run in the knives department, Angelus._

Angelus was almost insulted at the notion. _No one matches me with kni—_

_Shut up!_ Angel commanded. _What else, Beloved?_

_Tall, brown eyes. Scar on his cheek._ There was a pause, and Angel heard her mental scream and knew the physical would echo in her cell. He felt her near yet couldn't hear her voice, so he deduced there was enough concrete and metal between them to prevent sound from traveling to his sensitive ears. Angel suppressed a shudder when a jolt of electricity was passed on to him through their mental bond.

"I do hope that blond idiot is important," he said, knowing they would be listening to him with rapt attention. "I will make sure he is taught a few new things. In person, of course." Angel leaned back and folded his arms behind his head, hiding the fisting of his hands. He knew that projecting a calm front when fear was expected made people nervous, and he'd use everything he could to unnerve the Initiative. "I am a fervent believer in personal experience being the best teacher."

_I'll show him just how close to death I could take a human without killing him,_ Angelus said with glee.

Angel faked a sigh. "Humans just don't live long enough to learn to master the art of torture."

Internally, Angel scolded Angelus. _Really don't need that picture in my head right now, Angelus, and I'm sure Buffy doesn't, either._

_Nope, I don't,_ Buffy's voice was weaker than before.

Angel felt his worry deepen at how slight she sounded. _Hold on, Buffy._ He closed his eyes and pulled on every reserve he had. He didn't know if this would work, but it was the best he could come up with in the situation. He sent her his energy. _Open to me, my love, my wife._

Buffy's mental joy at his words was brief, but she opened herself to him.

Angel felt more of her pain, sharp and blunt, pulsing and cutting, but he forced thoughts of it to the back of his mind. He pushed energy through their link and visualized it as a warm flow carrying love and strength from his body to hers.

_It's almost like having you close to me,_ Buffy said softly.

In the next moment, Angel nearly screamed aloud when the sadist torturing Buffy upped the voltage and shocked her again.

He lost track of time, but Angel kept sending Buffy as much energy as he could give and remain standing. He couldn't take away any of her pain, but forcing their connection to open wide meant he was feeling more of it. He didn't care. He'd do anything for her.

_Angel?_ Buffy's voice came to him an eternity later. _What if…?_

_Don't,_ Angel begged. _You'll get through this._

_They need you alive,_ Angelus said. His tone was cold and harsh. He was furious, not only for the torturing of his mate—though that was the main part of it—but also for being subjected to torture himself and being powerless to stop it.

_Not helping,_ Angel said mentally, gritting his teeth. _Buffy, you can do this. You're stronger than any Slayer that has ever lived. You CAN do this._

_Angel…_

His name came as a soft, weak, mental sigh.

_If I…don't make it, promise…me._

He could feel her growing weaker, and he couldn't stop the roar that came from him when the link between them began to fade. _Anything._ He'd say anything if it helped her.

_Live… For me._ Buffy seemed to pull a breath into her, fighting through more pain. _Love…you. Forever._

Angelus and Angel cried out together, mentally and aloud, when Buffy's presence suddenly disappeared.

_Buffy!_

o.O.o

James watched the limp excuse for a girl before him and smirked. He'd enjoyed cutting her up. Unlike most of his subjects, this one could take plenty of cuts and healed quickly when the cut was shallow. She'd given him a little lip at the beginning, but she was no longer speaking—he wasn't sure if it was because he'd broken her jaw or if she was trying to conserve her energy—but that was the way he liked his women. On the other hand, he thought as he wiped the blood of his knife and sheathed it, she was still far from breaking.

It was his job to _soften_ her up, and he was very pleased to see that it wouldn't be easy to do that. Her defiant attitude, which she seemed to have in spades, and her unique physical attributes made this girl the best plaything he'd had in his entire career.

She could take a lot, and he was about to proceed to his next step and give her—and him—a good buzz.

Smiling at his own joke, James walked over to the far wall—wouldn't do good to keep his tools too close to the girl and have her reach them—and picked up two cords. He attached one end of each cord to a small electric transformer—he didn't want to kill the girl, just play with her a little—and plugged it to the wall socket. There was a small crack as electricity arced between the exposed metallic rods at the ends of the cords.

James saw the girl's eyes focused on him. There was some weariness there, and his smile widened. Yes, there was still a lot of spirit left in her, but she was starting to develop the kind of state of mind he wanted her to be in. When he was finished with her, she would be perfect material for Margaret.

James didn't have much respect for the woman he often liked to call Psycho Margaret, even to her face. He was probably the only one who could get away with it still walking the earth; Adam, the only other creature James knew capable of such a feat, was dead and dust. In fact, James thought that few living remembered or even knew Welsh's first name, and out of those, none dared use it, either. He didn't care. She needed him. After her fiasco with Adam, he did her a huge favor by helping her shovel the blame on Colonel McNamara. Now, James was untouchable.

Besides, James told himself, there was no one as good as he was at breaking subjects meant for rehabilitation. For these two reasons, he had ironclad job security and could get away with pretty much anything. He was smart, though, stretching the line only a little at a time and only on occasion. He had plans for the future, and while pissing off Margaret was fun, especially in front of her lapdog, Cullen, it was not smart to do it too often or in front of too many witnesses. Margaret might just decide that he'd outlived his usefulness and add his name to the Cancelation List, which was a place anyone with plans for the future should avoid at all cost.

Turning his thoughts back to the task before him, he lifted the rods.

"I've heard it helps if you take a deep breath," he suggested in a friendly tone, his eyes dark with anticipation.

"Fuck you," she spat.

James touched a rod to each side of her exposed belly and smirked when her whole body jerked. Her scream echoed in the small cell.

"Yes, scream for me, girly," he said and touched the metal ends to her skin again.

He'd guessed correctly. He could use a higher voltage on her than he would have been able to had she been a regular human. Welsh really did spoil him, James thought. He'd have to remember to thank her for this opportunity to have so much fun. It would put him on her good side. While James enjoyed getting on Margaret's nerves, it paid off to play nice sometimes. Some people ran the opposite direction when Margaret was in a particularly good mood, but not James. Her good mood usually meant the subsequent appearance of a new toy for him.

He truly loved his job.

Turning back to the transformer, James adjusted the voltage. He returned to her and applied the rods again. "I wonder just how high I could go with this before your heart finally gives out."

He wasn't sure if she'd heard him; his words were nearly drowned by her screams of pain. He waited a moment after pulling away and was almost disappointed to see that she was still breathing. He'd have enjoyed shocking her heart back to life. He'd been told that it was quite painful.

"Don't worry," he said as he prepared to place the rods against her skin again, having raised the voltage once more. "If your heart stops, we'll just restart it."

After several more contacts, James paused to admire the small burn marks the metal had left on her body. He'd used mainly the sides of her torso, but he'd left some burns on her underarms and thighs. The sight was very pleasing to him. His living work of art.

_Well, still living._ Margaret wanted this one to live.

Most of his art died soon after being created. This one would be different, though, and James enjoyed knowing she would carry his marks for the rest of her life.

"And then, when your heart's beating again, we'll start over and see how high we can go next time." She didn't need to know that she was needed alive.

The walls continued to echo with her screams for a long time after that, but her heart never gave out. James was considering upping the voltage yet again—despite being certain that this much would kill her so fast there wouldn't be much that could be done to bring her back—when he was ordered to take a break. Seemed like Dr. Lapdog was keeping too close an eye on this one and wouldn't let him take any risks.

Grumbling, James packed his tools and walked out of the cell without looking back at the body that was hanging limp from its restraints. He didn't see the fire burning in the hazel eyes that followed his every move start to fade.

The monitors following her vital signs remained silent in Dr. Cullen's observation room even as they indicated a slowing of her pulse and reflected the stuttering of her heart as it began to miss beats. When the pulse stopped, it took sixty-three seconds before the first alarm was sounded.

"James, you arrogant, sadistic, son of a bitch!" Dr. Cullen muttered as she pressed the emergency button. "Code Blue. Code Blue." She released the restraints on Subject B and watched as the medical team rushed through the cell door.

_I thought I had stopped that moron in time!_ Dr. Cullen rubbed her tired eyes. _No, I did stop him in time. He didn't reach lethal levels. So what went wrong?_

She released a sigh and sat back in her chair. She'd stopped James' electrical therapy at the right levels before Subject B should have suffered enough damage to her heart muscle—

_Muscle! Of course! The muscle relaxant! I didn't take it into account. Shit!_

Dr. Cullen fixed her eyes on the screen showing Subject B's cell and prayed for what could have been the very first time in her life that the girl survived. They needed Subject B alive.

If Buffy Summers died, Dr. Cullen knew her own days would be numbered.

" _She's not breathing,_ " the paramedic next to Subject B's head stated. He checked the pulse at the neck. " _No pulse._ "

Another man in a white coat connected two patches to the chest of Subject B. " _She's going into VF!_ "

Dr. Cullen automatically translated the abbreviation in her thoughts. Ventricular fibrillation. The cardiac muscle of the ventricles in Subject B's heart were quivering uncontrollably instead of contracting properly. Life-threatening, true, but another shock to the system should cause the heart to stop and restart in a coordinated rhythm.

" _Charge,_ " one of the paramedics ordered. " _Clear!_ "

The heart monitor showed a spike followed by the flattening of the line. Everyone—the paramedics in the cell and Dr. Cullen in the observation room—waited for several seconds to see if Buffy Summers' heart restarted properly.

The heart monitor reading returned to the sharp spike of irregular electrical pulses.

" _Charge to three-hundred and sixty._ "

"Come on, come on," Dr. Cullen muttered to herself, eyes glued to the ECG that looked more like a seismic needle at the middle of a small earthquake.

" _Clear!_ "

* * *

_Yup, I just did that. Evil, ain't it?_

_Thanks for reading,_

_Alley Cat_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 23**

Tara watched out of the corner of her eye as Giles signaled for Willow to join him in the kitchen. She made sure to look as though she was completely engrossed in the book she was reading as she listened in on their conversation.

The three weeks that had passed since her casting of the Blessing saw a significant increase in her power. Where before it was like a simmer under the surface of the water when she focused, it now felt like a river flowing in her veins, ready to be summoned with naught but a wishful thought.

Casting a small spell to allow her to listen in on the conversation between Willow and Giles took little of her concentration, allowing her to maintain the appearance of doing research.

"Are you sure it was wise to bring her over?" Giles asked. His voice was so quiet that had Tara not used magic, she never would have noticed that he had spoken, let alone decipher the individual words.

"Yes," Willow said with certainty. "Tar's cool. She's a bit shy, and the shouting the other night scared her, but I was able to talk her around into helping us."

Tara gave out a small sigh and made a show of exchanging her current book for the next one from the pile. She couldn't quite hide her frown but didn't worry about it. Her facial expression would be attributed to her lack of success with the book rather than anything else.

She opened the book and began leafing through it, not really bothering to read the words. Her thoughts wondered back to the events that had brought her here.

o.O.o

All of Wesley's contacts had come up with the same information—Angel and Buffy had disappeared without a trace, and no one seemed to know anything. It was odd enough—the complete lack of information—that it all but confirmed that something big was happening and someone major was involved. The biggest player anyone could think of was the Initiative.

Tara's inability to locate the two Champions—no matter which spell she tried, and Wesley, Cordelia, and Gunn found plenty for her to attempt—was, another indication that, in Cordelia's words, a new Big Bad on the loose in Sunnydale.

While Tara, Wesley, and Cordelia took the magical approach, Gunn took the analytical one. Proving himself very competent with the computer, he found that Cordelia's suspicions had been spot on. Willow had downloaded the schematics of the mansion just one day before the attack, and Gunn found that they had been emailed to an email account used by one of Riley's associates—Tara recognized the name as that of someone who had been seen hanging around with Riley on campus often. Digging even deeper, Gunn had discovered several phone calls made from Giles' home number to a classified cell phone paid for by the Initiative.

However, having their suspicions confirmed did little good. They had been able to eliminate most of Sunnydale as possible locations for keeping Angel and Buffy, but that meant nothing. The Initiative—with the full power of the government behind them—could have hidden them anywhere on earth.

"We need a new approach," Cordelia announced. "This constant repetition is useless."

Wesley sighed and put the book he'd been reading on the table. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Well, don't look at me," she protested. "I've gone over every possible hiding place in Sunnydale, and we've eliminated all of them!"

Gunn rubbed his tired eyes. "Cordy's right. We're going in circles, and it's getting us nowhere fast."

Tara said nothing as she leaned back in her chair and released a long breath.

"We've tried every spell I could think of," Wesley said. "I'm sorry, but I'm out of ideas at this point."

"Perhaps we need to sleep on it," Gunn said.

"No!" Cordelia called out. "We don't need to _sleep on it_. We need to find them! Angel and Buffy are in the hands of the Initiative, and we already know that those people are bat-shit crazy and capable of torture. I've _seen_ what they could do, what they _have_ done to Buffy!"

Tara approached Cordelia while the other woman spoke and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I agree. We need to act sooner rather than later."

Cordelia gave her a small smile in return and sighed herself. "I'm sorry guys. It's just that this is driving me crazy. You'd think that the Powers that Be would care enough about their Champions to give me some kind of a vision about them."

"I'm sure they care, Cordelia," Wesley said. "In the meantime, we need to do our best." He looked over at Gunn. "Were you able to find anything useful on Riley or that email address owner?"

"Nothing on Riley, and not much about the other guy," Gunn replied. "He's a sophomore in UC Sunnydale, and he's a TA to a History professor, but the professor seems clean."

"Clean?" Wesley asked.

"Not connected to the Initiative," Gunn clarified.

"So the only connection we have is Giles?" Cordelia asked.

"What do you have in mind?" Tara asked, seeing a look of contemplation on Cordelia's face.

"Is Willow still bugging you to take her sorry ass back?"

Gunn chuckled while Tara made a face and nodded.

"She's been in my room again yesterday." Tara shook her head in despair. "I can't seem to get through to her."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't."

"What did you have on that evil mind of yours, Cordy?" Gunn asked, gaining a glare from her.

Cordelia looked at Tara. "I think we should find out what the Scumbag-Gang knows."

Wesley didn't bother acknowledging her language. He'd given up on that long ago. _Besides, it is not as though I disagree with her opinion of those people._

"You want me to do…what, exactly?" Tara asked, feeling she wouldn't like the answer.

"I think you should spy on them." Cordelia went straight to the point. "We're not getting anywhere on our end, so I say it's time we tried listening in on theirs."

"I like that," Gunn said. He turned to Tara. "Sorry, I know Willow annoys the hell out of you, but I think that Cordelia is right. We should give this a try."

"Fine," Tara said, still frowning. "Next time Willow asks me to join her, I will."

"Don't interrogate her," Wesley said. "We don't want them to suspect you. Just listen in."

Tara nodded. "Understood."

o.O.o

That was how Tara found herself pretending to be a meek and shy wallflower while Xander and Anya appeared to be more interested in each other than research and Giles continued to whisper with Willow in the kitchen of his apartment.

"She was visiting her family for a few days," Willow said in reply to a question from Giles that Tara had missed, being distracted by her musings. "She's powerful, Giles, and she could be the third magical being if we decide we need a spell that requires the Power of Three."

Tara heard Giles sigh. "Very well." He didn't sound convinced.

Realizing that they were about to return to the living room, Tara quietly closed her spying spell and turned a page in her book. She wasn't stupid. She knew that, out of all of them, Giles was the only one that paid enough attention to notice if she did anything suspicious. He would notice an active spell in the room if she didn't close it in time.

Tara felt his eyes landing on her as soon as he was back in the room. She'd gotten a glance at his aura earlier that evening and was concerned to see the underlining darkness in his aura. It meant that he had the potential and the power to be a very dangerous man. She would do well to keep a very low profile.

"How do we even know Buffy's still alive?" Anya suddenly demanded. "We're spending all this time trying to find her, and she might already be lying dead in some alley."

"She's not dead," Willow said confidently. "I would have felt it. She's my best friend!"

"Damn Angel," Xander muttered. "If he'd just stayed in hell, none of this would have happened."

Tara was inwardly shaking her head. Xander continued to show his jealousy over the vampire even as he spoke of his hatred of him. _Not to mention, he's doing it right in front of his current girlfriend._

"I wish Buffy could have staked him long before that," Willow said. "It would have saved Ms. Calendar."

Tara felt nauseous at the look Willow gave Giles. It was a mix of adoration and lust toward a man old enough to be her father—or even her young grandfather. Willow followed her words with a soft hand on Giles' shoulder, and Tara wondered if she was the only one seeing the undercurrents. A glance around the room told he that she was, indeed, the only one observant enough to notice. _Does Willow even remember that I'm still in the room? Her supposed-girlfriend?_

"I still say we should check that she hasn't gotten herself killed yet," Anya insisted. "Because if she's dead, then we're wasting time Xander and I could use to have orgasms together."

Tara cringed. The girl was definitely wrong. She had seen Anya's dark aura and did everything she could to avoid looking directly at the ex-demon since entering the apartment. Willow had shared some of Anya's history with her and seemed convinced that Anya was good now that she had been turned human again. Tara wasn't so quick to believe that. Not only was Anya's aura dark and streaked with red and orange—colors that Tara had learned signified anger and jealousy—Tara also knew that changing from a vengeance demon to a human wouldn't have changed the core of who Anya was.

Unlike vampires, which had a demon taking over the human's body when the human was turned, vengeance demons were humans that had been given powers in order for them to exact revenge on others. The human soul remained in the body and in control. More than that, from what little Tara knew about vengeance demons, the reason a person would become one in the first place was because that person possessed the deep desire for revenge and the ruthlessness to follow through with it. Such a person was rarely _good_ , so transforming into and out of a vengeance demon made little difference.

"I hate to say this," Xander said, "but Anya has a point. It's not like Buffy's death would result in another Slayer being called. That's down to Faith now. How can we know that she's still alive?"

Tara thought that Xander didn't look half as worried as he should have been over the possible death of someone he said was his close friend. Neither did Willow, Tara noted. They could have been speaking about someone they'd met briefly in class rather than a girl who'd saved their lives several times over.

"Riley would have told us if they'd found her body," Willow snapped. "He said that they're still looking for her. Giles, did you speak to him today?"

_Riley! So we were correct in our assumptions. The Initiative was definitely the one to grab Angel and Buffy._ This information hadn't come as a surprise, really, but it was nice to have their suspicions confirmed. However, what alarmed Tara was to hear that the Initiative was _looking_ for Buffy. _How could they have_ lost _her in the first place?_ They'd been assuming that Angel and Buffy had been kidnapped together. Had Buffy made an escape?

_No,_ Tara thought. She was certain that had Buffy been able to make an escape, she would have tried to free Angel, and she would have made contact with the people she could trust—namely, Tara, Wesley, Cordelia, and Gunn. None of them had heard a peep for three weeks. _But if the Initiative doesn't have her, where is Buffy?_

Giles nodded in response to Willow. "He said that they were going to follow up that lead in Los Angeles that they'd received earlier this week."

_Los Angeles? They think that Buffy got all the way over there?_ Tara supposed that it would have made sense had Angel still been there, but he wasn't. She was absolutely certain that Angel was with Buffy at that very moment. _If either of them could have broken free from their captors, they would have come to us to get help in rescuing the other. There_ couldn't _be a reliable lead in Los Angeles, so why…?_

Realization hit her, and Tara kept her face lowered and hidden by her hair to make sure that no one saw her expression in case it faltered. _The Initiative must be sending Giles and the rest of them on a wild goose chase! They are pretending that they'd lost the Slayer to give them time to do whatever it is they want without her "friends" interrupting them. What about Angel, though?_ _I know they all hate him, but don't they know that he was taken along with Buffy?_

Tara didn't dare verbalize her question. Not only would they be suspicious that she was interested in Angel's fate, they would wonder why she thought it was even relevant to the situation. As far as Giles, Willow, and definitely Xander were aware, Tara didn't know much about Buffy's relationship with the vampire, having run away early on the night they'd confronted Buffy on the matter.

"I still think we should check," Anya said. Her expression was mutinous. "We don't even know if Riley's lead is about Buffy."

"We could do a spell…" Willow looked adoringly at Giles. "You must have something that we could work with, don't you?"

He cocked his head to the side in thought. "I think I might have just the thing."

o.O.o

Tara was tired and full of nerves by the time Willow had finally escorted her back to the dorms. She helped Giles and Willow perform a spell that had confirmed Buffy was indeed still alive, but they found nothing regarding her possible location. It wasn't the spell that had caused Tara's lack of energy, though. Since Wesley and she had done the same spell on a nearly daily basis, Tara didn't find it draining. It was the atmosphere and the people that had her head aching and her body feeling as though it suffered a beating.

She'd had enough of Willow's company for the night and wanted to be done with her, so as soon as they were at Tara's dormitory room door, she turned to the redhead and said, "Goodnight, Willow."

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Willow asked, biting her lip and giving her a look under her lashes.

Tara supposed it was meant as a seductive gesture, but it had done nothing to her, except perhaps bring back the nausea-inducing memories of Willow's attitude toward Giles. She shook her head. "It's late. I'm t-tired."

Willow appeared hurt. "Oh. I guess…"

Wondering why Willow thought they were at that place in a relationship where she would be invited in for the night, Tara repeated, "Goodnight, Willow."

She had only enough control over her emotions to wait for Willow's sad parting before softly closing the door. She had learned little tonight, and she was disappointed. She went to her phone and dialed Wesley's cell phone number to give him the update.

After exchanging greetings, she said, "Looks like Cordelia was right. Not only do they know about the disappearance and the Initiative's involvement in it, Willow and the others are in constant contact with Riley."

" _Did you get a chance to find out what they've been talking about?_ " Wesley asked, and Tara could hear the frown in his tone.

"The Initiative seems to be looking for Buffy as well," Tara said, slumping down on her bed. She'd stopped stuttering the day after casting the spell on Angel and Buffy. She didn't know what it was about the spell that had caused her speech impediment to disappear, but she found herself speaking fluently ever since. She'd still kept up the pretense with Willow and the others as it would have caused suspicion otherwise, but it wasn't necessary with Wesley. "I couldn't tell if it was true or not as Riley wasn't there tonight, but I'm inclined toward this being a lie."

" _Buffy could have escaped after the Initiative kidnapped her_ ," Wesley said thoughtfully.

"If she had, she would have found us," Tara said. "She wouldn't have wanted us to worry about her. She might have tried saving Angel on her own, but if she'd been successful, we'd have heard from them by now."

" _You're right,_ " he agreed. " _Since we didn't hear from them, it is either because she'd tried saving him on her own and failed, or because they are both still captured and hadn't had a chance to make an escape._ "

"Exactly, which means the Initiative still holds Buffy and Angel, doing Lord knows what to them." Though they'd been unable to perform a spell to check if Angel were alive—him being undead and vampire made that spell useless— Tara believed that he wasn't dust. She knew that her Blessing had worked, and that meant that if Angel died, so would Buffy. Therefore, if Buffy was still alive—and they knew she was because of their nightly spellcasting—Angel had to be, as well. "I wish we knew where is the exit Buffy had used when she'd escaped the Initiative the last time. It would've given us a starting point that's a little better than the entire campus of UC Sunnydale."

" _Tara, you're a genius!_ " Wesley announced. " _I'll be there in fifteen minutes to pick you up_."

Before she could ask for more details, the line went dead.

After coming up with the spying plan, they had agreed that Tara would remain on campus. It was meant both as a precaution to make sure that Willow and the others weren't suspicious of Tara, as well as a way to make sure that Wesley's safe house remained a secret from the Scooby Gang.

It seemed, though, that something in Tara's words had triggered an idea that made it worth the risk. Praying that Wesley was right in his belief, she placed the phone back in its cradle and put her shoes back on.

o.O.o

Tara nearly swallowed her tongue in surprise when she opened the door to Wesley less than fifteen minutes later. She had seen the serious scholar in him when they'd worked together. She'd seen the tactician in him when he'd made the arrangements for the safe house after Angel and Buffy's abduction. This, however, was definitely a new and unexpected look from him.

Standing at her door, Wesley was dressed like a member of a biker gang, complete with black leather jacket and pants, a black helmet under his arm, and a pair of dark boots decorated with gleaming metal. He looked dangerous and…well, sexy. She was woman enough to admit that, had she been straight, she would be on the verge of hyper-ventilating.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "Nice look for you, Wes," she couldn't help but say.

Wesley was glad his back was turned to her as he was certain he was blushing. "Thanks."

"So, where are we going?" Tara asked as she turned to lock the door behind her.

"I'll tell you when we get there," he replied, glancing meaningfully around them.

"Okay." The surrounding corridor appeared to be empty of people, but the walls weren't thick in this building, as Tara had the unpleasant experience of finding out for herself. She remained quiet as she followed him outside. She watched his back, noting that at least there weren't any gang insignia on the back of his leather jacket, and wondered what she should do about him. They had all grown closer over the past weeks as they focused their efforts on finding their friends, but she worried about Wesley perhaps getting too close.

Sighing, she decided that it would be best not to do or say anything at this point. She could be mistaken, she told herself. Wesley was just as close to Cordelia, and if she said something, it would only serve to embarrass them all. Not for the first time—though not for the same reasons—Tara wished that Buffy was there.

Finally, they reached the motorcycle parked at the side of the road. It looked huge, all black and metallic chrome. Wesley produced a second helmet for her, and she put it on before joining him on the bike. She hoped that the darkness and her quick movements would hide the blush she knew had appeared on her cheeks when her thoughts ran away from her again and she imagined someone else in black leathers.

Safely hidden behind the visor of the helmet, Tara allowed herself to smile in self-derision as she made herself comfortable behind Wesley, her arms sliding around his waist to hold onto him. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating from him to her as he started the vehicle and pushed away from the curb. Leaning with him around curves, Tara felt the muscles move beneath her fingers. This was torture, she decided and wished it could have been Gunn or Cordelia that had picked her up. Things with Wesley were just too complicated for her to be able to relax and treat him as a friend.

She turned to her other vision and examined Wesley's aura. It was bright, pulsing with colors she associated with determination and concern. There were others in the undertones, not all she recognized, but she thought that perhaps there was a hint of pleasure and maybe…lust?

Was she really seeing this or was it her guilty conscience taking over?

As Tara continued to debate with herself in her mind, Wesley drove quickly through the streets of Sunnydale until they reached their destination.

Wesley's own thoughts were in similar turmoil. He was growing tired and frustrated with the current situation between himself and Tara. He thought that she'd noticed him as a man, but nothing she'd said or done had given him any indication regarding her feelings. She was just as friendly toward him as she was toward Gunn, and he couldn't help but wonder if that was because she was interested in Gunn or because she wasn't interested in either of them.

As he brought the bike to a stop on the curb outside the gates of a cemetery, Wesley found himself again wishing for Angel's company. He was the one person that Wesley felt would listen with unbiased predisposition and could offer honest opinion. Cordelia was just as close a friend as Angel, but she was female, and Wesley didn't feel comfortable enough to speak to her about it.

_If nothing changes soon,_ he thought, _I just might have to resort to speaking to Cordelia and bearing her amusement at my failings as a male._

"Are we patrolling tonight?" Tara asked, somewhat bewildered. They'd done this before. With Buffy MIA, the demon population in Sunnydale was quick to take advantage, and they had all shared the duties of patrolling the multitude of cemeteries in Sunnydale. It didn't make sense that they were here for a routine patrol, though. They usually planned such a thing in advance, and Wesley appeared to be focused on something specific.

He took off his helmet. "No. We're here to pick up some documents Buffy stole from the Initiative and stashed here." He offered her his hand to dismount the bike.

Tara thanked him and took his hand. "Why did she stash them here and not in her room?" As soon as the question was out of her mouth, she knew the answer. "Stupid question. I forgot that Willow was her roommate." She had witnessed firsthand just how little respect Willow had for privacy. Buffy wouldn't have left anything important in her room for the redhead to find.

"Exactly," he said. "Follow me."

They walked through the silent grounds for several minutes until they reached a large, iron-gated mausoleum. Tara saw the iron lock on the gate and was about to ask Wesley if he had a key. She supposed they could use magic—

She gasped when Wesley produced a small handgun from his right boot. Before she found her voice to ask what he was doing with such a weapon—and where on earth he'd gotten one—he pointed the end of the barrel at the lock and fired.

She jumped, only just stifling a cry of alarm.

"Sorry," he said and sheathed the gun back in the ankle holster. "Didn't have time to look for a crowbar before I left to pick you up. Besides, this works great on a multitude of things, and it's much lighter in weight."

"You are full of surprises, Wesley," she said and saw him flash her a smile. _Is he…flirting?_

Wesley reached for the door and opened it. "Want to stay here or would you prefer to come inside with me?"

"I'll come with you."

She knew that she could defend herself well if any trouble arose, and she also knew that the mausoleum was hardly any safer than the outside. It wasn't a dwelling protected against vampires by its human residence, thus forbidding the demons entrance. However, she felt better and safer not to remain alone outside.

Even so, she was glad that it took Wesley mere minutes to find the documents and pull them—as well as what looked like some compute-related hardware—out of Buffy's hiding place.

"Let's get out of here," he said, stuffing everything into the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

"Gladly," Tara said, again taking his hand when he offered it to her. "I'm guessing the hardware is for Gunn and the documents are for us?"

"Yes," he said. "I hope that whatever information Buffy had been able to smuggle will help us find them."

"Me too."

The quiet of the cemetery was broken as Wesley roared the motorcycle's engine to life and pulled away from the curb.

* * *

_So, are you ready to pick up the pitchfork and go after the Scoobie Gang? I know I am!_

_Next time we will finally be returning to the Initiative's compound and find out just what happened with Buffy, and what is Angel going to do about it?_

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	24. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 24**

Buffy died.

Again.

Her first death, when the Master had left her to drown in a shallow pool underground, had been cold and wet and dark. The second time had lacked the wetness of the water or the darkness, but the bone-deep, heart-stopping chillness was frighteningly familiar.

Buffy's memories of her first death weren't very clear. Perhaps it was because it had only lasted a few seconds before Xander's breathing life back into her pulled her from Death's clutches, leaving little time for her to experience the afterlife.

Her second brush with death was different.

She'd been gone for over ten minutes, and each second without her heart beating or her blood flowing was that much longer. Even now, days after it had happened, Buffy could still recall with perfect clarity every small detail about it. No matter how much she wished she could forget, she suspected that the memories were forever etched on her mind.

After feeling her heart beating faster than ever before in her life, she'd felt everything stop. Her breath, her heart, her mind, her blood-flow, everything just…ceased. Then the cold began spreading from her very core. It took the same span of time as one of her frenzied heartbeats would have before there wasn't a single part of her that didn't feel the cold.

Then Buffy remembered the numbness and confusion taking over as she felt herself—but not quite herself—lift up and away from her own body. She'd seen the medical team that had been kneeling above her prone body. She recalled the sound of a flat shrieking that indicated the stopping of her heart. Even as confused and terrified as she'd been, she listened with fascination as one of the people dressed in a white coat pronounced her dead.

" _She's gone. Call it."_

But she wasn't gone, not completely.

Though she sensed that she _should have been_ gone, she hadn't. Instead, warmth had penetrated the cells of her body once again, hurting worse than the numbing chillness had, and she'd heard words echo in her mind. Familiar words.

… _My blood is your blood…_

… _Goddess, bless these souls that love…_

… _My strength is your strength…_

… _Bind them, join them, tie them as one…_

… _As I take, you shall receive…_

… _By the power of love, as I will, so mote it be…_

… _Until the final sunset…my eternal mate…_

Buffy had snapped back into her own body with a blood-curdling scream, and she still felt smug about having thrown all of the paramedics surrounding her into a state of momentary shock. Her heart had stopped its beat. Her brain had shown no activity. They'd pronounced her dead and were about to move her into a body-bag. For all intents and purposes, Buffy Anne Summers _had_ died.

But she didn't _stay_ dead.

_I've never been very good with following the rules,_ she thought to herself. _Though I could have had a better timing of it._ _Just my luck that I couldn't have waited a few more minutes for them to release my body from the restrains and move me out of my prison cell_. _If only it'd taken me just a few more minutes…_

_I would have gone insane_ , Angel said quietly _._

_I know, beloved,_ she replied. _I just wish I could have found a way to break free of these cuffs. We're growing too weak to last much longer._

_I know._ Angel's soft mental voice was almost the same as his normal voice, and Buffy found a great measure of comfort in hearing it, especially in the hell where they were being held.

They had both found it hard to keep track of just how much time had passed since they'd been taken. Angel's vampiric nature allowed him to sense sunset and sunrise, even from underground or behind bars, but there had been several occasions when he'd been unconscious for long periods of time. Those periods could have lasted anywhere from mere hours to a whole day.

Buffy didn't have Angel's sense for the cycle of the sun, but she did have one of her own she could track. She'd had her period about a week prior to their wedding and another one while in captivity. Tonight—and Angel had assured her that it was indeed nighttime—marked the end of the seventh day since completing a full cycle.

Though neither was one-hundred percent accurate, between her body's inner clock and Angel's senses, they'd gathered that it had been somewhere between five and seven weeks of captivity.

They were both being starved for the most part. Though Buffy had been given some water every few days, she had had nothing to eat since their wedding night. Considering that both times Angel had received blood, it had been drugged, Buffy knew she would have been suspicious of any food they'd presented her.

Not that they needed drugged food to knock her out, Buffy thought bitterly as she glanced at the needle sticking out of her wrist. They'd injected her with plenty of drugs to keep her week and unable to fight, and the beatings she'd received on a near-daily basis were enough to make her pass out without the help of artificial materials.

Angel had a similar needle stuck in the back of his own wrist when he'd first awakened. He'd torn it out with his teeth as soon as opportunity presented itself. It was back after each drugged feeding, but Angel kept ripping it out. He knew not what exactly they'd been injecting him with, but it had felt like molten lava traveling inside his veins. After the last time he'd awakened in excruciating pain, he'd refused the blood. Even starved as he was, he knew the blood would bring only more pain and it helped him resist.

This seemed to throw the Initiative for a loop for several days. When two weeks had passed without Angel feeding, they seemed to have grown concerned and suddenly offered him—what smelled like—clean blood. It was human, so Angel had to fight every instinct inside him, including Angelus, not to feed.

Three days ago, he'd broke and took the blood, but this time, it was indeed clean. They weren't sure why the Initiative changed tactics, unless it was for the purpose of keeping him alive long enough—though long enough for what was a question they weren't too eager to have answered.

Whatever their purpose and intensions were, the Initiative kept both Buffy and Angel on the verge of starvation.

_We'll work something out,_ Angel said, trying to reassure her

_We will,_ she said, but Buffy wasn't sure she would be able to endure much longer before her body simply gave out. She was growing weaker by the minute, and she knew both Angel and Angelus could feel it.

_You're not going to die,_ Angelus said firmly, unwilling to even contemplate the possibility.

_Correction,_ she said, _I am not going to_ stay _dead._ She didn't add that it was mostly due to _his_ addition to Tara's spell that she wouldn't remain dead.

Angelus merely grunted in reply.

After Buffy's return to life, they had realized that the combination of Tara's and Angelus' spells had worked to make them indeed inseparable. Though it was probably not in the way Tara's spell had meant for it to be, due to Angelus throwing in his own spell into the mix.

Buffy had theorized that, as long as one of them was alive, the other could not die, but neither wanted to put that theory to the test. What they were experiencing was bad enough without adding Angel's testing staking himself to top it off.

_Do you think they'll try it themselves?_ Buffy asked, suddenly worried. _Maybe they're trying to see how long a vampire can last before being driven to suicide._

They'd had this exact discussion several times in the past, trying to figure out what the purpose behind their kidnapping and imprisonment was. The Initiative had thrown at them every form of torture Buffy could think of: starvation, sleep deprivation, pain-inducing drugs, drowning, electrocution, and they'd both been carved up like a freaking Thanksgiving turkey more times than either cared to count. Angel now had firsthand experience with the blond bastard that had tortured Buffy, and all three of them—Angel, Angelus, and Buffy—made a vow to rid the world of James at the first opportunity presented. The man was pure evil.

Angel had had the advantage of Buffy's blood boosting his healing abilities at first and, despite being drugged, the blood he'd been fed worked to heal his injuries as well. Buffy's healing, though better than before, wasn't enough to keep up with the abuse her body was taking. Whatever advantage their mating had given her was now gone, and the wounds from her latest meeting with Luke—the Initiative's knife expert—were still bleeding despite it being a full twenty-four hours since he'd finished with her.

_I tried asking again,_ Buffy said. _I didn't get anything new from Fin this morning._ Save for a few slaps, she thought privately, but she'd taunted him intentionally and knew he'd retaliate. _It was just his usual, 'You'll find out when it's time' crap._

_I'll rip his fucking dick and shove it up his ass the first opportunity I get,_ Angelus vowed.

Angel's reply was smoother than that of his demon, as usual. _Though I'd like nothing more than unleash Angelus on that bastard, I think Fin might not know everything._

_I agree._ Buffy's sigh was both mental and audible. _I know that Dr. Frankenstein is involved because I'd seen her the last time I was a "guest" here, but I don't think she's the one calling the shots._

_I agree,_ Angel said. _From everything you've told me about the people involved, I think that you're right about Welsh. She has to be involved somehow. I don't see Fin submitting to her unless she had some authority over him. His being her Teaching Assistant makes for a perfect cover._

_This still gives us a big fat nothing._ Buffy clenched her fists, trying to think around the pain in her shoulders. She'd been restrained for almost her every waking moment. The only times when her arms weren't pinned by manacles above her head was when she'd been given bathroom breaks or during the few hours they'd allowed her to sleep. In that respect, she'd been luckier than Angel—she'd been allowed a narrow matrass to slumber on, but Angel had remained handcuffed to the wall at all times and had been allowed only a little slack to slide down into a sitting position on the floor.

_It is clear that they are trying to break us,_ Angel said, _but what do they think they'll get if they succeed?_

Buffy could sense Angelus thinking, even though neither she nor Angel heard the demon's thoughts aloud. It had been a little disconcerting for her to discover that Angelus could and often did hide his thoughts from Angel. Despite the relatively peaceful meeting she'd had with the demon recently, Buffy knew better than to grow complacent, so she worried.

_What's on your mind, Angelus? They'll send someone in for us sooner rather than later, and I'd like to try to get some sleep before the fun begins again._

_You told us that the last time they grabbed you, it was with the intention of breeding a super soldier,_ Angelus finally said.

Buffy heard the angry growl in Angelus' tone and was surprised to see that he was just as furious as Angel had been over her ordeal. _True._

_Well, what if they decided that instead of breeding, they could use another method to get a super fighter?_

_Brainwash one?_ Angel suddenly felt things click in place. _It would definitely take less time than to raise one from birth._

Buffy shuddered, and it wasn't only because the thin blanket provided little isolation against the cold flood. _Why take us both, then? They didn't put a chip in your brain—which is in itself weird—and they don't know that we communicate, so what's the purpose of keeping you a prisoner?_

Angel sighed, hating that there was nothing he could do to help her warm up. _I don't know. Maybe they'll try to use us against each another?_

_Let them try!_ Angelus snarled. _The moment one of us is free, they will have death raining down upon them faster than their puny hearts could beat._

_Great imagery,_ Buffy said tiredly.

_Try getting some sleep,_ Angel encouraged her. _Dawn will be here soon enough._

_I know._ Buffy yawned and closed her eyes. _Good night, Angel._

_Goodnight, my beloved._

o.O.o

On the floor above Angel and Buffy, Dr. Cullen's youngest assistant, Emanuel, just walked into Control to start his shift.

"Hey, Em," Kyle greeted him.

"Hi, everything's been quiet?" Emanuel asked as he took the seat next to Kyle. He quickly logged into his station and waited for the operating system to finish loading on his desktop.

"Yeah," Kyle said. "It's been a boring shift. Wish the Doc would get on with the experiment."

Emanuel made sure to keep his face blank as he shuddered. He couldn't imagine how watching two people—or beings, since a vampire wasn't technically human—being slowly tortured could be classified as boring. Then again, Kyle had been there the longest. _Perhaps it's his coping mechanism._

"What's the next stage?" he asked, half-fearing what the answer would be.

Kyle shrugged. "Don't know. Those of us so low down the food chain don't get to know that sort of thing."

"So how do you know that there is another stage?"

"Heard Doc mention it the other day." Kyle logged off his computer and stretched. "A word of advice, Em."

"Yeah?"

"Don't ask too many questions around here if you want to survive till your next birthday." Kyle stood up, and Emanuel saw that the lightheartedness from before was indeed a coping mechanism. "Just, keep your head down and do your job. It helps if you remember that they—" he gestured at the images of Subject A and Subject B behind him "—are the enemy. Have a good shift."

"Thanks," Emanuel said. "Good night."

"You, too."

Emanuel turned his eyes to his screen and waited until he heard the door close behind him before he let out a sigh. He'd heard the same advice from Brian. _Keep your head down, and you'll make it._

Except that he just couldn't. Over the past month, he'd seen Subject B survive things that should have been impossible for a human to live through. He'd seen Subject A show so much emotion that he found himself struggling to remember that Subject A was a vampire, an evil creature that killed humans.

Like Kyle, Emanuel had no idea what kind of experiment Dr. Cullen had in mind for the two subjects, but unlike his colleague, Emanuel found that he couldn't distance himself from it completely. He'd done his best to come to terms with the fact that his life had been forever changed the moment he'd joined the Initiative, but this…this was too much.

His eyes filled with tears when he did his mandatory evaluation of Subject B's physical condition. The girl was so thin, he could almost count her ribs, and her entire body was covered in bruises and cuts. He'd seen her recover amazingly quickly in previous occasions, but it was taking much longer these days for the wounds to close and the coloring to fade. Her body was approaching its limit, and Emanuel found that he didn't know if Dr. Cullen's purpose wasn't to simply record how long it took for the girl to die.

_No, she doesn't want the girl dead._ He remembered Brian telling him that the closest he'd ever seen Dr. Cullen to panicking was when Subject B had been declared dead. It was obviously an error on the medic's part, but Brian said that Dr. Cullen's face had lost all its color for the few minutes before they were able to bring Subject B back to life.

_They might not be able to bring her back to life the next time her body gives out,_ he thought in anger. Finished with the exam, he noted the dry technical details that he was required to note and moved to do the same with Subject A. He wasn't in much better shape than Subject B. There was more bruising than what had been recorded during last night's shift, which wasn't really surprising as Emanuel read through some of what had been done during the day. How long could Subject A survive, he wondered.

_Would he survive even if Subject B didn't?_

For some reason, Emanuel thought that he wouldn't. Subject A's reaction to Subject B's brush with death had been well recorded, and even though the words were laconic and dry, Emanuel could read well enough between the lines to know that Subject A had felt Subject B's almost-death.

"How can someone doubt your ability to feel when it's so obvious you love her?" Emanuel murmured quietly.

He had posed the question to Brian a few days ago, and Brian laughed at the idea, finding it ridiculous. " _Don't you know that a vampire_ can't _love? He's a demon. Demons don't have feelings._ "

Subject B let out a small moan of pain when she shifted in her sleep and the movement caused one of the cuts to open. Emanuel knew even before he turned his attention to the screen showing Subject A's cell that he would see a twinge of pain cross the vampire's face.

"Say what you want, Brian," he muttered, "but these two not only love each other, they are connected."

It was at that moment Emanuel realized he couldn't hold back anymore. The idea had been running around in his mind for a while now. He was simply too much of a coward to allow himself to really consider putting it into action. He couldn't be a coward any longer.

Dr. Cullen would probably find out what he'd done almost as soon as he finished doing it, and Emanuel knew that he would have a snowball's chance in hell of getting out of the Initiative alive after that, but he made up his mind.

With the decision made, Emanuel found that he could breathe again. It would be dangerous, and there was very little chance that what he had in mind would work, but he had to do _something_. He would give himself the best chance of success, though. He might have been the newest recruit to Dr. Cullen's team, but he'd been using a computer as soon as the first ones became available on the market.

_Admittedly, that's exactly what got me on the Initiative's radar, but this is also what's going to get me back under it._

He was smiling as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

o.O.o

Angel was jolted into awareness only a few hours after he'd finally been able to fall asleep.

"Oh, good, you're awake," a faceless voice said.

Angel quickly glanced around his cell, but he could see no one present.

"Look, I don't have much time, so you need to listen carefully."

"I'm listening," Angel said slowly. The voice was unfamiliar, and it sounded young.

"Good. I'm going to send someone to check up on you in a little while. Here's what I want you to do."

"Why should I?" Angel asked, his anger rising.

"Do you want to get out of here?" the voice asked. "I don't think your friend is going to be able to take much more abuse, and I saw James' name in the schedule."

Angel growled at the sound of that name.

"Thought so. Now, if you can follow the plan, you might just have a chance to get out of here alive."

"What's in it for you?" Angel demanded. He was nobody's fool.

"If I make it out of here alive?" the owner of the voice seemed to sigh. "I just might be able to sleep at night again. Ready to hear the plan or would you like to waste more time that neither of us has?"

"I'm ready."

"Good."

Angel listened to the voice as it outlined a plan for his and Buffy's escape. It was more than a little risky, but it was better than doing nothing. Angelus didn't like relying on a plan he didn't compile himself, but grudgingly agreed to cooperate.

"There are more than a few holes in that plan of yours," Angel said.

_More like there's little plan in the middle of all those holes,_ Angelus complained.

"I know," the voice said. "If you can come up with anything better, be my guest. I'm not staying for the main course."

"You're just cooking up the appetizers."

A short chuckle sounded in the room. "You could say that. Good luck, vampire."

_Buffy? Did you get everything?_

_Yeah,_ she answered sleepily. _I'm ready whenever you are._

o.O.o

As was the case in previous mornings, two soldiers came to check up on each of the prisoners. Their routine set, they didn't need words between them. Silently, one would train his weapon on the test subject while the other checked the restraints. They allowed the female to have some water and made sure to take the cup when she was done—nothing was to be left in the cell that could be used as a weapon.

Moving on to the vampire, they switched, and the larger of the two men approached the beast to check the chains holding it to the wall. There was no offer of water or food this time.

As quietly as they'd come, the two soldiers left, completely unaware that each of them had been relieved of several key items.

_There has to be an alarm that would be set as soon as we open the door,_ Buffy said. It took her no longer than the time it took for the soldiers to clear Angel's cell to free herself of the manacles on her wrists. She was now working on the ones binding her ankles.

_Probably,_ Angel agreed, working on his own restrains. _That's why we time it perfectly and make as much of a mess as we possibly can._

_That's not going to be too hard,_ she said. _Us both being naked and all is bound to draw some attention._

_Not to mention what we're about to unleash._

Buffy though that Angelus sounded a little cheerful at the prospect. She couldn't blame him. Although she felt a tinge of guilt as she thought about what they were about to do, the creatures they were about to set free, it didn't last long.

All she had to do was recall what these people have done to Angel and herself during the past month. They were worse than some of the demons she'd met in her years as the Slayer.

_I'm ready,_ she said.

_On the count of three. One. Two. Three!_

Silence was the only sound that filled the halls as the two doors of the cells holding Dr. Cullen's most important _guests_ opened. As soon as they were both out, Angel and Buffy's eyes met, and a sense of overwhelming relief washed over them.

_Not out yet, but, God, I'm so happy to see you_. Buffy smiled gently at him, her eyes tearing.

The intensity in Angel's gaze was enough to scorch. _Not as happy as I am to see you._

Angel was the first to move to the door next to him and swipe the keycard he stole from the soldier in the locking mechanism. Buffy immediately followed.

As one door after another opened, alarms finally sounded in the hallways of the facility. Vampires and demons of all shapes and sizes pooled out of their cells, and they weren't too picky on their targets when they vented their frustration and anger over their captivity.

Buffy kept a close watch on the hallways for any soldiers, and when those arrived, she closed her heart as best she could and moved on to open the next door.

* * *

_You didn't really think I would just let Buffy die, did you? *smirks*_

_It's about time they escaped, but you know it's not going to be simple or easy. Get ready to bite some nails and sit on the edge of your seats because, guys and gals, Angel and Buffy are about to run for their very lives._

_See you in the next chapter of Bring Me to Death._

_Leave me some love, people, and thank you for reading!_

_Alley Cat._


	25. Chapter 25

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 25**

Angel kept one eye on Buffy and the other on the chaos that surrounded him. He could identify more than a dozen different species in the hallway, which was slowly getting even more crowded as the Initiative had sent their men in to try to take back the control over the situation. Angel was amazed and more than a little concerned that they'd been able to put their hands on such rare specimens. Most of these monsters would be eliminated but not all. Once they'd made their escape, they would have to come up with a plan to finish off whatever was left.

_We haven't even gotten away yet, and already you want to go back?_ Angelus asked. _Damn, I don't understand you sometimes._

_You usually don't understand me._

Angelus gave it a thought and shrugged. _Yeah, guess I don't. Oh, watch out!_

Angel ducked a punch that was headed his way and kicked out to swipe the feet out from beneath another creature before rolling further away down the hall. Only when the man he had punched fell to the floor with a grunt and blood began to pool beneath him, Angel realized he was human.

_No time for your guilty crap. Get moving!_

Angel closed his eyes for a moment, fighting conscience and hunger, and that was a mistake on his part.

Before his eyes had opened again, he was hit with a painful jolt.

_Idiot! Fucker! Stupid, good-for-nothing, son of a bitch!_ Angelus was generous with his insults while Angel's ears were still ringing from the electric shock he'd just suffered. Apparently, while he was coming to terms with killing a human, one of the Initiative's soldiers had shot him.

When another jolt of electricity sent him to his knees, Angel lost it. He wasn't sure if it was him truly losing his self-control it or if Angelus somehow had taken over him. Whatever the reason, for several seconds, Angel operated on pure instinct. He growled and snarled, punched and kicked. He tore the weapons away from those shooting and broke the hands that had been holding them.

Several feet away from him, Buffy suddenly felt a rush of emotions taking over her. Rage and blind fury that had her punching her opponent harder than she'd intended, breaking the soldier's jaw. The next one suffered from several broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder by the time he'd landed on the floor, unconscious.

As the rage slowly cleared enough to allow room for thought, Buffy only had time to take a breath before another slew of feelings was sent to her from her mate. This time it was pure satisfaction, pleasure on the brink of euphoria, and a sensation of fullness unlike anything she had ever experienced.

_Angel?_

The soft voice of his mate finally brought Angel back to his senses. It was too late, though. Angel was already draining the human dry. It was the first taste of blood he'd had after weeks of starvation, and he was close to groaning with the pleasure of finally feeling satiated when the heart of the human he was holding beat its last beat.

Angel let the body drop to the ground, feeling a sense of crushing guilt taking over him.

_Don't, Angel,_ Buffy said quietly as she dodged a blow to her head. _Don't let this drag you down. Focus on getting out of here._

_Yeah, listen to our mate, Angel, and quit that guilt-trip shit,_ Angelus demanded. _We're starving, and those idiots deserve to die for what they've done to us and to our mate._

Angel took a deep breath and pushed his conflicting emotions aside. They had other things to focus on. He looked across the hallway and found Buffy taking on two horned-demons.

He saw her snapping the neck of one and kicking the other demon between his legs. That particular demon species was humanoid enough for the kick to send him crumpling down. Angel flinched in commiseration at the pain that was clearly shooting through that demon's body.

_She's fine._ Angelus was feeling gleeful with the fresh taste of blood. _She looks abso-fucking-lutely beautiful when she kicks ass. Especially when she's bare-ass naked._ Then, he paused. _Come to think of it, we'd better find something for her to wear. I don't like all of them seeing what's mine._

Silently agreeing with him, Angel quietly pulled a shirt off one of the bodies lying at his feet. It was charcoal black so that no blood stains showed on them and long enough to provide ample cover.

Finishing off the last demon, Buffy turned to find Angel approaching, holding some fabric out to her.

"Here. I thought you might want to cover up."

She took the item from him and was glad to see it was a shirt. Slipping it on, she said, "Thanks. Have we opened all of the doors on this level? It won't stay this quiet for much longer."

Angel shook his head. "There are a couple more." He nodded at the farthest cells on either side of the hallway. "I'll take those on the far end, you open these two. I'll meet you at the emergency exit in two minutes."

Buffy smiled. She rose up on her toes and gave him a short kiss. "See you in two."

Angel growled softly but moved away. _Even half dead, I want her._

_We're more than half dead,_ Angelus pointed out. _We're totally dead, and we totally want to fuck our mate silly._

Angel shook his head and walked down the hallway.

_What the hell's wrong with their blood, though?_ His demon's thoughts turned to a different matter. _I know you were starving, but you couldn't have missed it. It was weird._

_Probably pumping them full of drugs,_ Angel replied. He didn't want to think about the human he'd drained. As off-tasting as the blood had been, Angelus was right. It had tasted better than anything he'd had in recent years.

_Except our mate._ Angelus nearly purred the thought. _Now, she tastes divine. Absolutely divine._

_Focus, Angelus,_ Angel finally snapped at his demon.

_Right, right. Killing and maiming now, sexing up my mate later._

Angel almost chuckled. _You have a one-track mind, Angelus._

_Now who's not focusing?_

Angel ignored him, instead putting on a shirt he'd taken off of another body.

_Nice look,_ Angelus snickered, allowing himself a moment of amusement. _Butt naked in a military t-shirt._

_Yeah, well, I don't have the time to strip them,_ Angel replied as he heard more footsteps heading their way.

o.O.o

Three minutes later, Buffy and Angel were on a different level, in yet another hallway, once again opening as many doors as their stolen keycards would work on. The Initiative was sending more troops down to the basement levels, trying to contain the sudden threat coming from within, and chaos was reigning.

Angel dodged a stake from a soldier that appeared around the corner. As soon as the stake passed his torso, moving just a little too close for comfort to his chest, Angel grabbed the hand that held it and twisted the wrist until he heard the bones crack. The soldier dropped his hold instantly, and Angel caught the stake before it hit the floor. Performing a roll to escape another stream of projectiles—bullets, this time—Angel used his momentum to slam into a third soldier and throw him back at the other team coming up behind him.

Taking out a can conveniently-labeled as smoke grenade from the vest he'd torn form the soldier, Angel removed the safety pin and threw it into the corridor.

"This should keep them busy," Buffy commented, coming to stand beside him. "Shall we move on to stage two – escaping this place?" Then she gave him a once-over. "We should probably find you some pants along the way, though."

Angel chucked and pulled her for a quick kiss. He paused when he sensed something familiar. _Spike!_ Angelus recognized. "Spike!"

"Spike?" Buffy asked. "Where?"

Angel gestured toward a door to their right. "Looks like he was captured as well."

_I owe that asshole a few days in hell,_ Angelus said.

_We both do,_ Angel corrected.

_I want to spend weeks filleting him like a fish._ Angelus brought up several images that had left Buffy slightly nauseous. _Too bad the smoke grenade and demons won't keep the Initiative busy for long._

"Great imagery there, Angelus," Buffy whispered, swallowing back bile. "But we really don't have the time."

"Won't be a problem." Angel raised the stake. "Unlike Angelus, I don't plan on a lengthy conversation."

Buffy smiled. "Let's introduce Spike to Speed Dating."

As he raised the card to open the door, Angel shot her a glance. "Speed Dating?"

"I'll explain later." She shook her head. "You have someone to take care of." She would let him go in alone, but she would be watching his back.

Spike was shocked and terrified to find Angel on the other side of the door when it opened. "Angel! What are you doing here?"

"Killing you," Angel said without inflection. He was secretly pleased to see the sunken cheeks, paler than normal skin, and general messed-up appearance of the vampire before him.

_Looks like the Initiative did a number on him as well._ Angelus sounded just as pleased as Angel felt.

Spike raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and took a step back inside his cell. "Now, now, Angel, slow down. There's no need to kill me. I can help you." He took another step back. "Come on, can't you just torture me a little once we get out of here?"

"I could." Angel smirked at the fear he could smell coming from his grand-childe. He decided to taunt Spike a little more. Buffy could hold fort for a few seconds. "I would definitely enjoy torturing you. Never really liked you much." That much was true. While Angelus had had some measure of affection toward Spike, Angel had no such warm feelings for the blond male.

_Come on, that was one time,_ Angelus objected. _And it was about discipline, damn it!_

They both heard Buffy's mental giggle. _You're going to have to explain about that one time, Angelus._

Angelus groaned. _Later, we have business to finish first._

"See?" Spike relaxed a little and lowed his hands to his sides. "Now, let's get the hell out of here, and you could do that."

"Don't think so," Angel said and shoved the stake he'd taken from the soldier straight into Spike's heart. "Wouldn't want to have to watch my back for another betrayal."

_Good riddance!_ Angelus cheered as Spike was reduced to a pile of dust. _Now, enough with the distractions. Let's find a way out of here and spend the next decade fucking our mate._

_Uh, Angelus? You do remember I can hear you as well, don't you?_ Buffy asked, her face slightly flushed but her eyes amused as she met Angel's sheepish expression. "Is he always like this?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Angel walked over to her.

_I'm always hard when you're around, Buff._ Angelus smirked. _So how about that decade?_

"I think we'll start with getting out of here."

"Agreed," Angel said, and they headed toward the emergency door they were told would be unlocked and unmonitored.

o.O.o

_Unmonitored my ass,_ Angelus growled. As soon as they opened the door to the staircase, ten Initiative soldiers were all over them.

_Didn't you just say that it was all a little too easy?_ Buffy asked as she took a punch. She flew back against the wall, and her ears rang from banging her head against the hard surface. She recovered quickly enough to avoid another punch though, the soldier groaning loudly when his hand met the wall instead of her face, but he didn't have long to think after that. Buffy grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and rammed him face first into the wall.

The crunching sound that followed confirmed she'd hit him heard enough to break several bones. She added one more smash and let the human man slide down to the floor, unconscious. Sensing someone behind her, she kicked back before turning and punching the man in the shoulder, throwing him against the staircase rail. The man hit the rail mid-back and continued to flip over it, falling down. Buffy's attention was away from him long before he finally hit the ground three stories below.

She gritted her teeth when her body protested, still healing from the weeks of torture, but she continued to use every ounce of her strength, training, and instinct to keep track of all the moving bodies in the small space. In a way, that was to their advantage, as the stairs were only wide enough to allow two people stand shoulder to shoulder. However, even as the last of the ten soldiers' body hit the floor, Buffy could already hear more coming.

"The only way out is up," she murmured, meeting Angel's concerned gaze. "How are you holding up?"

He flashed her a smile. "Still standing. You?"

Buffy sighed and nodded. "I've had better days."

They moved together, taking the stairs two at a time as they rushed to go up the floors.

_No stopping for anyone,_ Angelus ordered. _Just throw them over the rail._

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Wasn't planning on offering them tea."

Angel didn't reply. He was already throwing the first uniformed figure down. They needed to escape sooner rather than later. Their strength, although supernatural, wasn't limitless, and Angel knew that if he was hurting, Buffy was at least ten times worse. The stubborn woman blocked him from feeling her as much as she could, but he saw the tightening in her jaw, the stress lines around her eyes that told him she was in pain.

Angel released a roar of anger when he was hit with an electrical charge for the second time that day. He dropped to his knees as this shock was worse than the previous one, and neither was a walk in the park. He was blinded with the pain for only a second or two, but that was enough for the soldier who had attacked him to produce a stake and shove it into his chest.

"ANGEL!" Buffy screamed, her heart tearing inside her chest as she saw the stake travel in the direction of her husband's chest. She grabbed the nearest soldier and twisted his head hard enough to break his neck. His knees hadn't hit the floor, and Buffy was already moving, pulling the firearm the soldier had strapped into his thigh. The stake had imbedded itself into Angel's flesh just as Buffy pulled the trigger. The deafening sound of gunshots filled the stairway, echoing off the walls, as Buffy systematically placed a bullet in the face of every single figure who had attacked them. She couldn't feel anything but numbness and cold. Her heart was ripped out the moment that wooden stake hit Angel's chest, and she knew she would never care about anything but revenge from that second on. As soon as the Initiative and everyone involved in their kidnapping were dead, she would find a way to join her love.

It took her tired and emotionally distraught mind several seconds to realize that Angel hadn't burst into dust, and it was suddenly eerily quiet in the hallway. The only sound her ears were picking up was a choked up, wounded moan that she realized was coming from her.

Angel turned shocked eyes at his mate, meeting her equally-as-stunned gaze.

_Well, that's one theory proven right,_ Angelus said cheerfully. He was the only one coherent enough to speak at that point, but even he was amazed. He simply did a better job at hiding it.

Angel looked down at his chest and brought his hand to touch the wood.

"Uh, I…" Buffy had to take a deep breath to get her mind to work again. She knew there was no hope for her heart at that moment. That particular part of her might never recover from the shock. "Let me."

Angel lower his hand and nodded. He met her eyes, seeing the shock, fear, and anger in them. She was holding a torn piece of fabric—he presumed a shirt off one of the dead figures around him—and despite the emotional turmoil he could see raging inside her, her hand was steady.

"On three," she said. "One, two, three." She pulled. As soon as the stake was out, she pressed the fabric against the wound, staunching the bleeding. There wasn't much, and she realized just how starved her mate truly was. A wound this big would have caused a vampire to bleed profusely. _Any other vampire would have been dust,_ she corrected.

Angel hissed and slumped forward. The pain was incredible as his body instantly tried to repair the literal hole in the middle of his chest. Trying to rise, he felt everything begin to spin. "Damn it!" He closed his eyes.

"We're not going to make it to the surface with you in this shape," Buffy said, lifting his arm over her shoulders, still keeping the pressure on his chest. "Lean on me, and let's find a place to hide."

Angel nodded very slightly and slowly rose to his feet. He put his palm over Buffy's on his chest and opened his eyes to look at her. "I guess either Tara's spell or Angelus' kicked in."

"Guess so." Buffy bit on her lip to stop it from trembling. She wouldn't think about it, she told herself. Not now. _Focus. There, a door. Male quarters. Perfect._ Then, her sensitive ears picked up the sound of more footsteps. _Damn it, there are more of them coming._ "Angel…"

"I know," he said, having heard the same thing. "We need to hurry. Let's go."

Buffy knew that he must have nearly crushed his teeth by the tightness of his jaw, but Angel made it—with her help—up the few stairs to the door. It opened easily with the keycard she picked up from one of the soldiers she'd killed.

_Yet another topic to think about later,_ she told herself.

_We're fine, Buff,_ Angelus said, surprising her with his gentle tone. _It's nothing a little blood won't fix._

_I know. Heal. You'll heal. Both. Out of here. Need to escape. Where? Not safe. Holy shit, Angel nearly died! No, don't think. Act. One step at a time. Hide. Cameras. They must be watching._

Her words were a jumbled mess, and she knew it, but she couldn't get her mind to think straight. The pain she was suffering was both physical and mental, and she knew that she was also feeling some of Angel's in a ghostly manner. None of these helped her think any clearer.

"I don't see cameras here," Angel said quietly. "Try this door, see if we can open it."

Buffy swiped the card, but the panel light flashed red. "Damn it. What are the chances that we'll find the right door? We might as well just break the damn lock and be done with it."

Angel heard the frustration in her words. "We can't. That would lead them straight to us."

"I know." Buffy shoved hair away from her face as she helped Angel to the next door. Same result. She sighed. "Can you wait here a moment?"

He nodded. "What do you plan to do?"

"Increase our chances." She only waited long enough to see that Angel could remain upright when leaning against the wall before she ran back to the door that they'd used to enter the floor. The soldiers coming down were closer, and she knew she would not have much time. Dashing back to the dead bodies, she went through each and every man, taking his keycard. She also picked up the gun she'd used earlier as well as several clips.

_Better safe than sorry. More might come, and I might need it._ She hated thinking about the men she'd killed, knowing that if she allowed herself to do so right then, she would fall apart. _No time for that. Fall apart later. Get to safety now._

Once all the cards were in her hand, she dashed back up the stairs and through the door. She made it back to Angel just as they both heard the scuffle continuing down, past the level they were on.

" _They must have gotten back down,"_ they heard one man say. _"The doors on this floor and upward are secured. Observation says they're not here."_

" _Okay, let's head down to the basement,"_ another said.

They waited another long minute before daring to breathe again.

"Stay here and let me check the doors." She looked down at the rag Angel held to his chest. It was black, so she couldn't really tell if he was still bleeding or not.

_Yes, ma'am,_ Angelus said _. I like it when you're being bossy, lover. Makes me want to tie you to my bed and show you who is really the boss around here._

_Save it for later, Angelus._ Buffy didn't even look up from the panel as she methodically checked each key.

_Promise?_

There was so much hope in his tone that Buffy couldn't hold back the chuckle. It was borderline hysterical, she realized. _Come on, come on, come on._ She moved from one door to the next, searching for cameras as she went, but none of the keys seemed to work.

Finally, at the seventh door, one of the keys matched. "Finally!" she breathed, afraid to speak any louder.

Angel slowly began moving toward her, and she rushed to assist him.

"Stubborn," she muttered.

Angel chuckled and then winced when the movement caused more pain. "You would know."

"I would." She glared at him even as she led him to the door. "Come in," she said, remembering that he needed an invitation. Though the owner of the key was definitely dead, it didn't mean that the mystical barrier would be open to Angel. It could be that, from a supernatural stand point, the room belonged to the commanders of the Initiative, which were still alive.

Buffy shut the door behind them and turned a critical eye on the room. It was small. The furniture consisted of a narrow bed against one wall and a small desk with two chairs pushed against it. One door was slightly ajar and led to the bathroom, another was closed, and Buffy assumed it led to the closet. "Well, it's not much, but it'll do. It's got a bed and a shower."

"All the luxuries of home," Angel said.

Buffy turned to look at him with a raised brow. "Was that a joke?"

He sighed, wincing again.

"Right, let's see if I can find some bandages." She walked Angel the short distance to the bed and helped him down on it. "Can you take off your shirt?"

_Anytime, lover,_ Angelus said.

"Might need help, actually," Angel said sheepishly when lifting his arms proved painful.

Buffy wasted no time in tearing the shirt he wore down the middle, revealing his naked body to her. He dropped the rag he held against his chest to the floor, and she gasped in shock. "It's almost closed!"

"Yeah, I can practically feel the knitting of the tissue." Angel grimaced. "It's not very pleasant."

"I bet. Well, looks like we won't need the first aid kit." She glanced at the bed. "As much as I would love to hit the sack. I really want a shower first."

Angel slowly stood and turned to offer her his hand. "Let us both take one. I would like to get the dirt off my body as well, and I could use some help."

She took his hand and rose. "Any excuse to get me to touch you, eh?"

"You caught me."

The light tone of the conversation betrayed the true feelings they could each see in the other's eyes. Quietly, they walked the few steps to the bathroom and stepped into the small shower stall. It was barely large enough to hold them both.

Angel adjusted the heat of the water while Buffy picked up the single bottle on the floor. Shower gel. _Figures, this being a man's room, that there would be no shampoo and conditioner around._ She briefly thought about the amount of different bottles her own bathroom held—shampoo, hair conditioner, body lotion, facial soap—and that was only counting the bare essentials.

Slowly, they lathered each other's body with the shower gel and washed away the dirt, enjoying the warm temperature of the water as well as each other's company. After the third cycle of lathering and rinsing, they finally felt clean enough and simply stood under the running water. Angel leaned against the wall, holding Buffy in a loose embrace as she let her head fall on his healing chest.

Buffy kissed him over his heart and knew that tears were freely flowing down her cheeks, mixing with the water. "You almost died today," she whispered.

"We both did," he said quietly, feeling his own emotions rise to the surface. It was breaking his heart to see her cry, to feel the pain in her voice.

She whimpered, her shoulders shaking. "Angel…"

His arms tightened around her as she began to sob, allowing all the pent-up emotions to flow out of her alongside the tears. He comforted her, whispering his assurances as she held on to him. "I'm here, beloved. I'm here, and you are here. And we will not be parted again."

He knew his own cheeks held traces of tears as well by the time Buffy finally calmed. He envied her that kind of release sometimes. In his human times—and it was probably still true these days—it was not socially acceptable for men to cry. It was seen as a weakness and poor character. The only one who had ever seen him break was Buffy. She was the only person that he knew wouldn't judge him.

_And now she is my wife and mate, forever bound to me._ The thought was warming. Buffy had been the light in his dark existence since the first moment he had laid eyes on her, and it continued to be true, even while he was forced to be away from her.

The water began to cool, and they both moved to step out of the shower. The towels were surprisingly soft, which made Buffy hum in satisfaction. Angel smiled when she wrapped a towel over her hair, piling it up on her head. She looked amazingly beautiful with her face clean and a hint of a smile on her lips.

"I love you," he said and leaned down to kiss those smiling lips.

She smiled even wider against his mouth before answering his kiss. She brought her hands up to bury her fingers into his wet hair and groaned when her ribs protested.

"We better get some rest." He pulled away but kept one hand on her bare shoulders. "Sleep will go a long way in helping us heal."

She nodded, and he followed her out of the bathroom. After making sure that the front door was locked, Angel placed one of the chairs under the handle as an extra security measure. If the humans found a way to pick the lock and push through the door, the chair would provide a loud warning that would wake them up.

"One more precaution," Buffy said softly. With what had to be the last of her energy reserves, she cast a shield around them. It was nowhere near as powerful as the one she had been able to cast when she and Cordelia had left the mansion to go to Los Angeles—oh, Lord, how long ago had that been? She couldn't honestly tell for certain—but it was better than leaving them completely without protection.

Impressed, Angel said, "You have grown much in power."

She shrugged. "I had plenty of free time."

Seeing that the subject was hurting her, Angel abandoned the issue.

_Don't worry,_ Angelus said with glee, _I have plans for those idiots. Very pleasurable plans. Well, for me they are. For them? Not so much._

Angel sighed. He did not have the power—nor the will, if he were being honest—to argue with his demon. Instead, he walked over to the narrow bed and slid between the sheets. Buffy joined him, curling into his side and sliding her thigh between his. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and enjoyed her warmth for the first time in weeks.

"Sleep, beloved." He kissed the top of her head.

Buffy snuggled closer to him and sighed in satisfaction. "With you, I will."

Within moments, they were both asleep, comforted by the other's presence.

* * *

_Trouble is still brewing, and they aren't out of danger yet, but they are together - and remember what we have been told: together they are strong._

_What did you think about Angel's near-death experience? First we have Buffy dying and coming back to life, and now Angel takes a stake through his heart and continues on walking the earth. Interesting, ain't it?_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death: _Tara is playing spy again, and what she learns is more than a little disturbing. She does her best to put a spoke in the wheels of the Scooby Gang, but is it possible that the Initiative holds more in their compound that she could even have imagined?_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Chapter 26**

"I have a question," Xander announced, slumping down on Giles' couch. "With Angel dead, shouldn't Buffy be free of him? Wouldn't she have come back to us once his effect on her was over? Why is she still MIA?"

Tara was once again playing the spy on the Scooby Gang and, as usual, she was being largely ignored. It had been decided that while Gunn worked on the computer hard drive that she and Wesley had brought from the cemetery, Tara would continue to keep an eye on Buffy's ex-Watcher and former friends to make sure they didn't do anything too stupid.

As time went by, Tara had become somewhat akin to furniture as far as Giles, Willow, Xander, and Anya were concerned. She was glad of it. Having their attention focused on her made her jumpy.

Giles shook his head in response to Xander's question. "If it was merely Angel's thrall, then yes, but I fear he had brainwashed her. That is the only explanation that makes sense."

Tara had to hold back a snort of disgust at that. Angel brainwashing Buffy? Buffy under Angel's _thrall_? That was utterly ridiculous. These people had been the ones to witness those two fall in love and interact for over a year. How could they _not_ see that Angel and Buffy loved each other deeply?

_Well, they are incredibly blind when something doesn't fit their preconceived notions of it,_ she reminded herself. _Just take Willow's refusal to accept that our relationship is over._

"So what can we do to help her?" Willow asked, looking up at Giles with adoring eyes. "We want our Buffy back, safe and sound."

Giles sighed and took off his glassed to polish the lenses. He leaned down and sat on the armrest of his couch, next to where Willow was sitting, and missed her slight blush at his nearness.

Tara felt like gagging.

"Buffy is very strong, both physically and mentally," he said. "I'm afraid the only way to remove Angel's influence on her would be to weaken her significantly before making any attempts to reverse the vampire's effects on her."

"Weaken her?" Anya sounded curious. "How?"

"There are ways," Giles said evasively, and Tara felt her heart sink. She had several ideas of what ways there were to weaken Buffy; none of which were nice, and very few were painless.

Tara had no doubt that the Initiative, whatever they wanted with Buffy, would use several of those methods in an attempt to weaken her strong will. She also knew that the Scooby Gang was involved in giving the Initiative the information they needed to capture Buffy and Angel, but now she wondered just how much they—or, Giles, specifically—knew about what the Initiative was doing to the couple.

"In fact, I have spoken to Riley just before you all arrived," Giles continued.

"Did you tell him about these ways?" Xander asked. "They have to start as soon as she's back. We're going to save Buffy from Angel, even if it means fighting Buffy herself to do so."

"I have," Giles confirmed. "It was just in time, as well."

"You mean…?" Willow's tone and eyes were hopeful as she looked at the older man.

He nodded. "Riley told me that they've found Buffy."

Tara froze. So, the Initiative were changing their story. Why?

After several minutes of excited chatter, Giles was able to quiet them down again. "Riley didn't tell me where they'd located her, only that they had. He only had a few minutes to speak with me, and I wanted to make sure he had all of the necessary information in order to start the brainwashing reversal process on her."

Tara fisted her hands and hid them under the jacket she was holding in her lap. She couldn't believe how eager Giles was to start torturing Buffy.

"Is she in their compound under the collage?" Willow asked. "Maybe we could go there and help, somehow?"

Giles was shaking his head even before she had finished speaking. "It will not be a good idea for us to visit her at the moment. Professor Welsh is a trained psychiatrist, and she said that Buffy might blame us for her capture and that it might interfere with the rehabilitation process."

_Buffy would be absolutely right to do so,_ Tara thought. _You_ are _to blame._

"When did you speak to her?" Willow sounded shocked.

"Right after I spoke to Riley." Giles gave Willow a reassuring smile. "Buffy is in the best possible hands, Willow. She will be right as rain soon."

"And pissed as hell," Anya said, much too cheerfully.

"Yes, I suspect that Buffy is not going to be very happy with them for killing Angel, or with us for our involvement." Giles said, giving Anya an exasperated look. "Professor Welsh assured me that Buffy will not be informed that we are aware of her whereabouts or of Angel's fate. It would be…complicated if she were to escape them again."

"Yeah, she would come after us," Willow murmured. "Nobody messes with her Angel."

Tara noticed that there was jealousy mixed up with the disgust in Willow's voice and wondered at that. Was Willow envious of Buffy's devotion to Angel?

Giles nodded, and Xander snorted. "Yeah, no one messes with her perfect Dead Boy." He then turned to Giles. "So what can we do to help? There must be something we could do to help."

"Um, I might have an idea?" Willow's voice was hesitant and excited at the same time. "I came across a spell a while ago, and I think it might be useful now." She stood up and brought a book from one of the shelves. She leafed through it for a few moments before finding the right page and presenting it to Giles.

Tara glanced at the title on the spine of the book. There were some powerful spells in it, most of them very dark magicks, and Tara thought that she would hesitate to try them even as a last resort when all else failed for fear of the possible consequences.

Giles read through the page and hummed, appearing interested. "It _could_ be useful."

"I-it's very dark magic," Tara whispered, unable to hold back the words. She was reluctant to draw attention to herself, but she had to try to make them see that whatever the spell they were looking at, it could not be a good idea, not if it came from _that_ book.

"How would you know?" Anya demanded, and her eyes were hard and scary when they focused on Tara.

Tara shifted in her seat as all eyes in the room turned to her. "I-I'm f-familiar with the b-book." It was not hard to fake the stutter as real fear spread through her. She needed to see the spell in order to be sure of just how much trouble these idiots were about to get themselves—and everyone else—into, but she knew enough that it would be a whole lot of trouble with the spell's origin taken into consideration.

"She is right," Giles said, making Tara hope that he was indeed the responsible adult in the group. "This is dark magic, and I'm uncomfortable with you delving deeper into it, Willow. I should be the one to cast it."

Willow's shoulders slumped, mirroring Tara's hopes, though for different reasons.

"What does it do?" Xander asked.

"It removes all supernatural effects from a person," Giles replied.

_Yes, we are indeed headed for trouble_ , Tara thought.

"Wouldn't that take away her Slayer's powers?" Xander said. "We can't not have a Slayer."

_Of course, you would only think of the effect this would have on you!_ Tara was furious. _YOU can't afford not having a Slayer to watch your backs and save your hides, but you have no concern over what this will do to Buffy. Goddess, these people!_

"It would only be temporary, for one moon cycle," Giles said reassuringly. "Once the effect of the spell is over, Buffy would regain her powers and be just as strong as she was before. Let us just hope this will give Professor Welsh enough time to work on Buffy."

Tara wanted to tear some sense into all of them. First, there were the dangers of leaving Buffy exposed and vulnerable in the hands of an enemy—not to mention the entire supernatural community that was well aware of who Buffy was, which would come after her as soon as they heard of the spell—and second, there were also possible side-effects with Sunnydale sitting atop a Hell Mouth. Who knew what evil twist that would put on an-already dark spell?

At least Willow was smart enough to question the first. "What would happen to Buffy while she's weak? We were all almost killed on Halloween when she lost her powers. A month is a long time to be Slayer-less."

"She's in good hands, Willow," Giles said. "She is secure in the Initiative's headquarters, and Professor Welsh will make sure she isn't harmed while under the influence of the spell."

Tara closed her eyes in disbelief. The trust these people placed in the hands of the Initiative was staggering. At least one good thing came out of her spying tonight. She was now forewarned and, if the Goddess was willing, would be able to hinder or counter the spell when they attempted it.

"And so would Riley," Willow said with confidence. "He cares about Buffy a great deal. She is really lucky to have him."

Tara was glad that no one was looking at her right then. She was certain they would have seen the incredulity all over her face at Willow's statement.

"How long do we have to prepare before we can do the spell?" Willow asked.

Giles examined the book again. "We should have most of these ingredients at the shop, so I would say a day at most."

"Good." Willow smiled. "A bit late, but we could give Buffy freedom from that monster as her birthday present."

Nods of agreement were seen around the room. Tara sat tense, not daring to call attention to herself again. One day was a very short period to come up with a way to stop these idiots and rescue Buffy, but she thanked the Goddess that she had even that.

"I shall call Professor Welsh and let her know that we would be casting this spell," Giles said.

"Of course," Willow agreed. "We need to coordinate our efforts."

"Great, are we done here?" Anya asked suddenly, coming to stand. "Xander and I would like to go home now and have sex in private."

"Anya!" Xander shot to his feet, looking sheepish at his girlfriend's outburst. "We've talked about it."

She folded her arms across her chest. "What? You said you wanted to have sex in private. That's where we're going to go. I didn't ask you to give me orgasms right here, did I?"

Tara frowned. There was definitely something wrong about Anya, and it wasn't as simple as her inability to grasp the concept of tact. It almost felt like it was intentional behavior on the ex-demon's part.

"I will coordinate with Professor Welsh from here," Giles said with patience, having apparently become accustomed to ignoring Anya's tactless manner. "Buffy might try to object to the removal during the casting, and the Initiative needs to prepare for that. We don't want Buffy to be hurt."

Didn't they? Tara wondered. All of their actions had already caused immense pain to Buffy, both physically and emotionally. What they were planning to do next was no different. Tara couldn't imagine how they were able to rationalize that taking away Buffy's powers, her ability to defend herself, was _not_ going to hurt her.

"While I am on the phone, Willow, will you write down a list of what we would need for the spell?"

"Sure, Giles," Willow said and jumped up to grab a pad and pen.

"Xander?" Anya turned puppy eyes on him.

"Call us when you know when we'll be performing the spell," Xander said and quickly guided Anya out of the apartment.

Tara focused her attention on Giles, casting a small spell to follow him as he went to the phone and dialed a number. She made sure to take note of it on the pad she grabbed from the nearby table. Gunn had proven he was very good at getting information about people when he had a lead, and a phone number belonging to Professor Welsh was a solid one.

"Good evening, Professor, this is Rupert Giles." He proceeded to update her on the spell they were going to attempt and its possible effect on Buffy. When he was finished, he asked if there were any updated on the Slayer's condition. "I see. No, it is best if she remains sedated until after we are done with the spell. Yes, we will wait for your confirmation, and I will keep you informed, of course. Thank you. Goodnight to you, too."

Tara closed the spell as soon as the conversation was over. She quietly came to sit next to Willow. "C-can I help?"

"Sure," Willow said cheerfully and moved the book so Tara could see the page with the spell. "I'm just making a list of everything we need, could you read it out for me while I write it down?"

Tara nodded and slowly dictated the ingredients. She intentionally skipped over a couple and mispronounced a few more. It was innocent enough that she could attribute it to an honest mistake if asked, but it would give her and the others more time to find Buffy.

_With friends like these, who needs enemies?_ Tara thought with amazement.

"Hey, Giles, did you talk to Buffy's mom lately?" Willow asked. "Buffy said that she planned on going on a buying expedition for her gallery, but she should have been back by now."

Giles shook his head. "No, I haven't spoken to Mrs. Summers lately. Has she called the dormitory?"

Tara wondered at the slight catch in Giles' tone when he spoke of Buffy's mother. Was there a history between them? Another thought came to her then. Buffy had been missing for well over a month, but her mother hadn't called anyone looking for her daughter? Was it possible that Buffy's mother was also in trouble?

"No." Willow bit her lip. "Do you think we should call her and see that she is okay?"

Giles appeared to give it some thought, and once again Tara had the feeling that there was something between the ex-Watcher and Mrs. Summers, either in the past or in the present. "This being Sunnydale, I think it might be a good idea to speak with her."

"Yes, the last time she was on a shopping trip, she brought back a mask that could raise the dead." Willow chuckled. "If she's back, perhaps it would be a good idea for you to take a look at the new inventory."

Giles smiled. "I believe Mrs. Summers had learned her lesson regarding purchasing items form unfamiliar merchants. I'll be right back."

As it turned out, Mrs. Summers was doing well and had bought no new masks with abilities to raise the dead. However, she had asked no questions about her daughter, and that made Tara feel very sad. Buffy had told her the night when she had spoken of her history that she felt abandoned by her friends and her family. Tara remembered thinking that Buffy was exaggerating, but now she realized that, if anything, Buffy was downplaying her mother's actions.

_How could the woman completely ignore the fact that her daughter has been missing for over a month? Or did she miss that fact completely? Poor Buffy._ Tara's heart was clenching inside her.

With the list of ingredients finished—as flawed as Tara dared it to be—she and Willow said their goodbyes to Giles and left. Willow wanted to stop by the magic shop to get a head start on the spell preparations, and Tara was glad for the excuse to part ways with the redhead. She needed to speak with Wesley, Gunn, and Cordelia. She didn't know if they would be able to come up with a plan on this short a notice, but they would give it their best shot.

Tara took out her cell phone—Wesley had given it to her, telling her that they all carried one in case they needed to get in touch quickly and in case of emergencies—and hit the speed-dial. "Wesley? Yeah, it's me. Could someone come pick me up from the dorms? I have some news, and we will need to act quickly."

o.O.o

"Tara, my girl, you are one hell of a spy," Gunn said with a grin. His eyes were on the computer screen before him, so he didn't see the shy smile his words had brought to her face. "We should call you Bond, Tara Bond."

Tara chuckled and blushed when Cordelia said, "Yeah, good job, Tara."

"Thank you. I assume this means that you've found something, Gunn?"

"I did better than find something." He made a few more mouse clicks before a new screen opened up, showing the schematics for a large compound. "We already knew that they had to have a compound under the university, but thanks to Miss Spy here, I was able to track the signal of Professor Welsh's cell phone and follow it to find one of the entrances. It's located directly under Welsh's campus office."

"That's great!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"But wait, there's more!"

Cordelia snorted and exchanged a look with Tara, mouthing, "Boys and their toys."

Tara held back a chuckle and simply smiled.

Neither of the girls were able to follow what Gunn did next on the computer, so they just waited to hear what he had to say.

"I got the plans for the compound, as well," Gunn continued and brought up a picture of the schematics he had been able to obtain—not entirely legally—for the structure under the university's campus. "We'll need to find a way to learn more about their security and hack it, as well as find out exactly where Angel and Buffy are being held, but it's progress."

"I'll be damned!" Wesley whispered. He had just entered the room at the start of Gunn's explanation. "Well done, Gunn!"

"Oh, it's not just me," Gunn said quickly. "Tara was the one who gave me the lead."

Wesley grinned at her. "Good job, Tara."

"Thanks," she said. "So now we just need to come up with a plan on how to rescue them."

"Easier said than done," Cordelia muttered.

"Gunn, what do you need in order to find out what kind of security the place has?" Wesley asked.

Gunn gave it a moment's thought. "Time, mostly. I have a few sniffers that should yield information soon enough."

"How soon?" Tara asked. She was getting a nervous feeling in her stomach.

Cordelia noticed Tara's reaction first. "What's wrong, Tara?"

She shifted, rolling her shoulders to relieve some of the tension that had suddenly built there. "I fear we don't have much time. We need to act sooner rather than later. I did my best to hold back Giles and the rest of them, but they will figure things out eventually."

"Working as fast as I can." Gunn turned back to the computer and became engrossed in it.

Wesley approached Tara. "We can try another form of spying. It's risky, but it could save time."

"What did you have in mind, Wes?" Cordelia asked. She wasn't sure she liked his tone of voice or the look he gave Tara. "What kind of risky spying? I don't want Tara endangering herself. She's done enough as it is."

Tara smiled at Cordelia's defense of her. She placed a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "What kind of spying, Wes?"

"Astral projection."

"Okay, even I know what that means," Cordelia said. Then she frowned. "Is it really dangerous?"

"A little," Tara admitted. She saw the guilt on Wesley's face and the worry on Cordelia's and was quick to add, "It's less risky when done with a partner, which is what I think Wesley meant."

"I did," he said. "It's even better if you have more than one partner."

Cordelia raised a brow. "You mean me?"

"Yea," Tara said. "It's actually best done with four. One flying and three grounding."

"Gunn?" Cordelia suggested.

"Yes, that would be best," Wesley agreed.

Tara took a deep breath before nodding. "Very well. You instruct them on what to do, and I'll prepare the garden. It's best to do it outside."

"Why?" Cordelia asked, but Tara was already walking away.

Wesley answered her, his eyes following Tara. "Less restrictions for the spirit to pass."

o.O.o

It didn't take long for the group to prepare themselves. Tara stood in the middle of the circle, wearing a simple cotton dress that left her feeling a little chilled in the wintery breeze. The three others surrounded her, each holding a candle that she and Wesley had engraved with symbols.

"Ready?" she asked quietly. Having received nods from everyone, she took a deep breath and concentrated on relaxing, finding her balance. Then, she reached for that inner connection she had with the magick passed down to her through generations. Finding that spark of pure power inside her, she opened her eyes and looked up. She did not hear the chant coming from the people around her. Her focus was on the journey before her. It was risky, even with the three anchoring her. One could get intoxicated with the feeling of weightlessness and freedom that came with spirit travel and not come back to one's physical body.

Wesley kept his eyes on Tara as they lit their candles and finished the protection spell. As soon as their last word was spoken, Tara lifted her hands up and began her own spell.

"Goddess of the air, I call three.

"Carry my spirit on the waves of the wind, so free.

"Allow me to see that which is hidden from me,

"Allow me to go where I have not yet been.

"Goddess of Locks and Doors, open the gates, I now implore thee.

"Allow me to pass through the Astral veil,

"And grant me the speed and power to set sail.

"Guard me as I cross the sky in flight,

"Hold me in your kind sight.

"And when I have gained that which I must learn,

"Please, grant me a hasty return."

The trio standing around Tara watched in amazement as her spirit suddenly left her body and disappeared into what looked like thin air. Her body remained in the middle of their circle, though, frozen in position. Her eyes open but clouded over. Her muscles relaxed.

As Tara flew, she navigated the skies of Sunnydale carefully. It was easy to be lost in the sensation of being completely weightless and free. _Focus,_ she ordered herself, and her eyes began searching for her destination. The sunny town appeared somewhat surreal to Tara's spiritual body. Her ability to see auras was heightened while in this state, and that meant that she was seeing a colorful kaleidoscope as she sailed cross the sky.

Time meant little in this state, so she knew not how long had passed before she finally found herself above the campus. She searched for the shadowy-aura that represented Riley Finn or for that of Professor Welsh. Those two were their best leads. The professor was nowhere to be seen, but Tara's luck was on her side, and she found Riley waking into one of the campus buildings. Following him, she dived down. He made his way through several hallways through what Tara realized was his frat house.

Riley stopped in front of an elevator and leaned close to a side panel.

" _Retinal scan accepted_ ," a mechanical voice announced, and the elevator doors opened.

Tara followed Riley as he entered the elevator. Once inside, he said his name aloud, and the same mechanical voice replied, " _Vocal code accepted._ "

She couldn't quite tell how many levels the elevator had descended before the doors opened again as there was no indication of floors on the inside cabin. Eventually, Riley stepped out, and Tara made to follow him.

They had no idea where the Initiative was hiding Angel and Buffy, so following Riley around and learning the lay of the land—so to speak—was Tara's main objective. It was better than her wasting precious time searching the compound floor by floor in hopes that she would get a glimpse of either of their auras.

Riley met with several others, some she knew from campus—Graham and Forest were his closes friends—but others were unfamiliar to her. They went up a flight of stairs, crossed two corridors, and entered another elevator. They exited at level B3.

_What could the B stand for?_ Tara wondered before her eyes landed on a something on the wall nearby. _Basement – Level Three._

_How nice of them to be so organized as to post a map of the level, including emergency exits clearly marked,_ Tara thought as she memorized different markers and signs that she could later describe to the others.

She followed Riley and his team of five as they geared up and went down several more levels. The label said that this was _Basement – Level Six,_ and the floor map underneath showed that this floor contained a multitude of laboratories and observation rooms.

She followed the men, watching them spread through the corridor in what looked like a security mission to make sure it was safe for someone to pass. This level held more than just bad people, and she felt several chills run down her spine. This place housed true evil.

With the rest of his team positioned, Riley placed himself outside a room labeled _Observation Two_. He brought his hand up and said something she didn't catch into what had to be a hidden microphone.

Moments later, Tara noticed a dark aura approach from the same direction they had come. The dark, sinister aura was familiar enough for Tara to recognize Professor Welsh even before the figure had walked close enough to be seen.

The Professor nodded to Riley and walked inside the observation room. Tara drifted to follow.

Inside, she found a woman in a lab coat, along with several techs sitting next to computer monitors. The name of the tag identified the woman as Dr. Cullen.

"Professor," the doctor greeted Welsh. "We're ready."

"Good," Welsh said, turning her attention to one side of the room. "Proceed."

Dr. Cullen nodded and left the room.

Tara followed everyone's eyes as they turned to one side of the room, where a light came up showing what had to be the adjacent room. As if pulled by invisible cords, Tara felt her projection drifting closer to the observation window. Her heartbeat grew louder in her ears, drowning all other sounds around her.

The room on the other side of what had to be a two-way mirror held five figures. Tara briefly noted the trio of women that stood to one side, registering the power radiating from them, but her attention was drawn to the creature to whom Dr. Cullen was speaking.

Tara cried out as realization dawned on her, and she was glad that she was in spirit form. She knew she would not have been able to hold back the sound even if she were in danger of being overheard. The rush of emotions that engulfed her was maddening; shock, joy, fear, amazement, fear…it was like a tsunami had washed over her. She had never experienced anything like that.

A heartbeat later, Tara sensed peaceful warmth taking over the turmoil that was her emotional state. She felt her very soul sigh in delight as she was wrapped in the pure, positive energy. Despite the evil she could still detect in the room, the inky-blackness of the souls of the four women in the room, her eyes only saw the beauty of the pure aura of the fifth figure in the room.

That aura was calling to her, beckoning Tara to come closer, even though she could see that the owner was no more aware of Tara's presence than the others were. The invisible pull guided her spirit as it passed the glass into the room being observed by the others.

Tara felt as though the auras of the other occupants of the room grew darker, simply because of the comparison to such a contrastingly good one nearby. There were two things Tara now knew in the hailstorm of emotions that still threatened to pull her under.

She'd just found another soul in need of rescue from the Initiative.

_And this soul belongs to my one true mate._

Even as that earthshattering realization washed over Tara, she focused her attention on the scientist when the latter spoke.

"Begin the ritual," she ordered the trio of women in the corner. Tara examined the power she could feel emanating from them and determined that they had to be witches. They were not nearly as powerful as she herself was, but they had enough to pose a threat.

"Yes, Doctor," the trio of women answered unanimously.

"You," Dr. Cullen turned to the last figure in the room, "behave, or else…" She let the threat hang in the air.

The whispered, "Yes, Doctor," was almost too quiet for Tara to hear as she felt her strength begin to waver.

_No!_ Tara screamed in her mind, fighting to remain where she was.

The doctor left, and Tara felt the power levels in the room suddenly rise. She listened and tried to commit to memory the words she was hearing, knowing she would need as much information as possible if she were to identify the ritual later.

The feeling of something crawling just under her skin spread through her, and she shivered again. As soon as Tara shivered, it was as though she couldn't stop shaking. The ritual, whatever it was, was definitely _not_ white magic. The murky, dark tendrils of power that swept through the room made her feel as though she was choking on black smoke.

Then, her gaze met a pair of amazingly-clear blue eyes, and the chills stopped. Though Tara knew her soulmate could not see her, she still felt as though her presence had been sensed. There was so much anguish in those eyes that Tara drifted even closer, her fingers almost touching the ethereal creature before her.

_I didn't think that any were left in this world,_ she observed in a far corner of her mind. _I thought they had all been chased away or slaughtered._

Sadness spread through Tara as she felt the pull that signaled her journey would have to come to an end soon. Reaching inside herself to find the strength to hold on a little longer, she heard the strong, clear voice of her soulmate. It was as lovely and pure as its owner. Soft, clear, it carried the power of generations of hereditary magicks.

"Gaia, Mother, I call to thee,

"Feel the power vested in me.

"As Lady Moon mourns the arrival of dusk,

"Allow thy Champions to succumb to lust.

"Mother, hold the two in thy kind embrace,

"Allow their joining to gain your grace.

"Infuse their souls with your light,

"Goddess, hear my call, answer my plight,

"Give your blessing, turn the key,

"As I will, so mote it be!"

Unlike the other spell that had been cast inside the room, Tara felt that this one was deeply rooted in white magic. It was not meant for harm, but she could not be sure of its purpose. Even in the astral plain of existence, Tara felt the wash of power as the ritual reached its peak, bringing the levels of energy in the room to new heights.

As a pillar of light formed in the center of the room, Tara knew exactly where to find those she had been looking for.

_I will come back for you,_ she vowed silently before drifting upward, following the light. As she passed through the floors, she saw that the pillar was branching out, sending tendrils in different directions. Some were brighter than others, some faded away, and some continued to shine brightly. Tara could see exactly the path she needed to follow as though it was painted in a different color than the others.

She found them several levels higher, in a room that appeared to belong to one of the Initiative's soldiers. They were sleeping on a narrow bed, curled around each other. As the powerful magic wove a cocoon of light around the two, Tara knew that she had the information she had come there to get—and more some.

With a heavy heart, Tara allowed herself to be pulled away from the vile place that was the Initiative's compound, toward her physical body. The return trip was almost brutal. One moment, she was looking at the two Champions of light as the magic surrounded them, and in the next heartbeat, she was lying on the cold ground and looking up into three worried faces.

* * *

_I know it has been a reallllllly long time, but I've been trying to get several chapters ahead written. I keep changing my mind and having to go back to this chapter, which means rewriting the next ones, which means more changes here...and I got stuck in a loop..._

_I'm holding my fingers crossed that I finally have it figured out. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and I really hope that you are going to like the direction I'm taking with this story. Reviews feed the Musie :)_

_Have a wonderful week,  
Alley Cat_


	27. Chapter 27

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_Original publish date: 2017-07-25_

* * *

**Chapter 27**

"Thank the Goddess! She's awake," Wesley said. "Can you sit up?"

Tara nodded and slowly began to rise to a sitting position. Cordelia and Gunn had to assist her. "Thank you," she whispered, taking several deep breaths to steady herself.

"Here, drink this," Wesley said.

Opening her eyes, Tara saw that he was holding out a cup for her to take. With trembling hands, she grasped the cup and drank deeply. The taste was earthy and spicy, and she recognized the concoction as one that was meant for rejuvenation and strengthening.

Once she had emptied the content, she handed the cup back to Wesley. She could feel her fatigue slightly backing away, but Tara knew that she would need plenty of rest and sleep before she was back to her full power. "How long was I gone?"

"Nearly three hours," Cordelia said, her voice tense. "Wesley had to call you back three times before you did."

Tara sighed. "I know. I felt the pull, but I couldn't return before. I've learned much, and we must hurry."

"Here, let me help you," Wesley said as Tara tried to stand up.

She was still unsteady on her feet and was grateful for his assistance.

"Let's get inside," Gunn said, coming up to support Tara on the right side while Wesley took her left.

Cordelia walked behind them, surprisingly quiet, as they guided Tara to the living room. She was worried about the young witch, and she was still upset with Wesley's refusal to call her back sooner. The girl looked like death warmed over, she decided. "Tara, are you feeling well enough to speak to us?" she asked. "Wouldn't you rather get some rest first?"

Tara offered Cordelia a soft smile and shook her head. "I need to tell you what I've learned. Then, I can rest."

"All right." Cordelia gave her another once-over, still frowning.

Tara took a deep breath before she began telling them what she'd witnessed. "I followed Riley, and he used an elevator located in his fraternity house. He had to scan his eye and state his name before the elevator moved." She bit her lip, worried how they might be able to override this. She hadn't found any other exits while she was down there.

"Don't worry, Tara," Gunn said. "We'll find a way around this."

"Okay." She nodded. "Several of the levels in the compound are filled with demons of different kinds." Tara shivered as she recalled the sensation of being surrounded by evil. "I don't know why they were being held there, but they have enough there to start a war—and win."

"Damn!" Cordelia was shocked and more than a little afraid at the news. Gunn placed a calming hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into him for comfort.

"Were they held in cages?" Wesley asked. He was looking at Tara and missed Gunn's and Cordelia's actions.

"Yes." Tara frowned. "Where else would they be?"

"They could be training them," Gunn said quietly.

"Or experimenting on them in labs," Cordelia added.

"They appeared to be prisoners more than anything, but I can't say that they hadn't been experimented on at some point," Tara said. "Speaking of experiments, I saw Dr. Cullen."

"The bitch that experimented on Buffy?" Cordelia asked and received a nod from Tara. "I'd like to get my hands on her…"

"What was she doing?" Gunn asked, staying close to Cordelia and hiding a smile. He liked her readiness to defend her friends, whatever it took.

"She met with Professor Welsh in an observation room and was told to start. I followed her to the room they were observing." Tara continued to describe the room, the trio of witches, and the spell they'd cast, doing her best to recall the words she had heard. "Those three are powerful, and we will need to watch out for them when we decide on a plan of attack."

"I agree." Wesley nodded. He looked at Tara, seeing that she was looking down, and wondered what else she had seen. "I don't recognize that particular spell, but it sounds like one meant for shrouding or cloaking."

"I thought so too," Tara said. "Once that spell was done, there was another one cast, and it allowed me to follow it up to find where Angel and Buffy were."

"You found them!" Cordelia nearly shouted. She turned to Gunn and smiled brightly at him. "We found them!"

Gunn returned the smile and nodded. He knew how worried Cordelia was about both Angel and Buffy. "Do you remember the floor number or anything else that I can use to locate them in the schematics?"

Tara concentrated and described what she could remember to Gunn. "Will this be enough? I couldn't see the name of the soldier on anything in that room, but I'm certain about the level number."

"Yeah, it's more than enough." He gave Cordelia a small kiss on her hair before releasing her and going to his computer. "I'm on it."

Tara gaped at him before turning her eyes on Cordelia. The brunette was slightly flushed, but her expression revealed nothing. "There's something you're not telling us, Tara."

Wesley was watching Tara and missed, yet again, the exchange between Gunn and Cordelia. Now, he turned to look at Cordelia. "Why do you think so, Cordy? Tara's told us everything she remembers, and Gunn can now use it to find exactly where Angel and Buffy are. We can finally work on a plan to rescue them!"

Tara winced as Wesley's tone rose. She knew he was feeling very protective of her, and she thought that what she would have to tell them next might cause problems. She thought about avoiding the subject, but one look at Cordelia's face, and Tara knew there would be no avoiding it.

"You ghosted over the other spell," Cordelia said. "What was it? What was its purpose?"

Tara repeated the words of the spell she remembered. "I have a few ideas what it could be meant for, but I can tell you that it was pure white magic. It wasn't meant to harm neither Buffy nor Angel."

Wesley frowned. "A call to Gaia is usually used in spells dealing with the earth or with plants. It's an odd spell for that trio of witches to cast."

"They didn't," Tara said. "There was one more person inside that room, and whatever plan we come up with, it needs to include rescuing that person as well."

"Why?" Cordelia asked, confused. "Who is it this person?"

"She is a fay."

"What's a fay?" Cordelia asked, momentarily distracted.

"A fay?" Wesley asked, amazed. "Are you sure? I thought they were gone from this dimension."

Tara nodded. "I did, too, until I saw her."

"Hello? What _is_ a fay?" Cordelia demanded.

"You might know them as fairies," Tara said.

"Fairies are real?" Cordelia was shocked.

"They are believed to be extinct, actually," Wesley said. "As far as I know, that last sighting of one had been in the seventeenth century in, unsurprisingly, Ireland."

"My family used to have ties with some of them, many generations ago," Tara said. "We also believed them to be gone from this plain."

"What happened to them?" Cordelia asked. "Why did they disappear?"

"They were slaughtered by the thousands," Wesley answered, his tone grim. "The fay people were known for being very powerful. They were some of the greatest healers in history."

"Fays have an affinity for nature and anything that relates to that, such as animals, weather, growth, and healing," Tara explained.

Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, it fits with the folklore I've heard, but why were they slaughtered? And by whom?"

"Humans, demons, vampires, take your pick," Tara said in a sad tone. "Legend has it that when their numbers grew so small that they feared extinction, the remaining fays teamed up to create a portal to a different dimension and disappeared into it before their enemies could get to the last of them."

"And now the Initiative managed to put its hands on one," Wesley muttered in anger.

"Yes, they have," Tara said.

Cordelia frowned. "What would they want with one?"

"I don't know." Tara looked down at her lap, feeling her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "Whatever the reason, we have to save her," she said, looking up at Wesley and Cordelia. "They're probably holding her in one of those horrible cells, just like they do with the rest of the supernatural creatures they've captured."

"We will save her, Tara," Wesley said gently. He came to sit next to Tara on the sofa and placed a comforting hand on her shoulders, gently rubbing the tense muscles.

Cordelia came to sit on Tara's other side and took her hand. "There is more to it than helping someone who is in trouble, isn't it? There's something about this fay, what is it?"

Tara lifted eyes wet with tears to look at the girl who had become her friend over the past month. "She's my soulmate."

"Soulmate?" Wesley choked out.

Cordelia stared at Tara in shock. " _She_?"

Tara nodded, not daring to turn to look at Wesley. She had known for weeks that he had feelings for her, feelings she now knew she would never be able to return.

Wesley stood up and turned away from the two women sitting on the couch. He couldn't look at either of them. "I… I need…" _to disappear,_ he thought. "I'm sorry." He stormed away from the room.

Tara's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry," she whispered, knowing that he couldn't hear her.

"It's not your fault," Cordelia said quietly. "Tara?" She waited patiently for the young witch to look up again. "You can't control who your heart chooses to love. So, your soulmate is a female?"

Tara tried to answer her friend's smile with her own, but she couldn't. Instead, she simply nodded.

"Well, damn." Cordelia leaned back. "That'll teach me to make assumption." Then she giggled. "So that's what she meant!"

"What? Who?" Tara was confused. She was glad Cordelia wasn't mad at her—she knew that she and Wesley had been close friends and was afraid Cordelia would be angry at her for not returning his feelings—but she was shocked at the amusement written all over her friend's face.

"Buffy," Cordelia said, still smiling. "She told me that she met you through Willow, that you two were going out. I mistook going out as hanging out. Wow, I guess my gay-dar is seriously askew!"

"You're taking this much better than I thought you would."

Cordelia's smile disappeared. She glanced at the doorway through which Wesley had gone. "Like I said, you can't control who you love." She shrugged. "While I feel bad for Wesley, I know that you didn't intentionally hurt him. It will take him a while, but he will get over it."

"I hope so." Tara bit her lip in worry. She hated thinking about the tension and hard feelings that were sure to follow in the coming days.

"Wait," Cordelia's tone turned serious. "You didn't _do_ anything with Wes, did you?"

Tara shrank into the sofa under Cordelia's hard glare and instantly shook her head. "Never. I mean, I knew that it was possible that he had feelings for me, but I never said anything to him, and he never—"

"Said anything to you," Cordelia finished for her. She sighed. "Yeah, that's Wesley for you."

"Tara?" Gunn called from the other room. "Can you come over for a second?"

"Come on, let's see what he's got." Cordelia stood up an offered a friendly smile to Tara.

"Okay."

o.O.o

Professor Welsh was not pleased. It had been eight hours since Subject B had made her escape with Subject A, and the two were still on the loose. To make matters worse, fifteen of her staff members were currently residing in the hospital wing as a result of handling the HSTs the two subjects had released from their cells during their escape, one of her best witches on staff had slipped into a coma after having had a close and personal encounter with one of the said HSTs, and—to add insult to injury—Mr. Rupert Giles had called to inform her that he and the rest of Subject B's friends would like to perform a spell to strip the Slayer of her powers in an attempt to assist the Initiative.

"Idiots!"

Professor Welsh did not need their help. She had plenty of magical power at her disposal to do as she pleased. She did not need the assistance of civilians, but she would let them work their silly spells. It kept them busy, and she had more important issues to worry about.

"Damn you, Salk," she muttered under her breath. The scientist responsible for the behavioral modification chip had been unsuccessful in finding the reason the chips were malfunctioning, and with the rate the damned pieces of shit were breaking down going up, Welsh had decided against implanting one into Subject A's brain.

Subject A was too important to risk having his gray matter melted inside his own skull by a malfunctioning chip before she finished with him. Still, she cursed Dr. Salk for his incompetence. Each chip had a built-in tracking device—an improvement they'd implemented after HST Seventeen's escape—and could have been used now to track the runaways.

"Ma'am, Riley Finn is here," her secretary's voice announced via the intercom.

"Send him in," Welsh ordered.

Riley Finn walked into her office a moment later.

"Report."

"Celia's and Krona's visions aren't showing anything new," Riley said. "The mansion is empty, and it doesn't look like it's been lived in for weeks. I have gone over all of the security footage, and neither of the two had been seen going through any of the exists. I believe that they are still inside the compound, Ma'am."

Celia and Krona, the most powerful of the witches the Initiative had in its employ, were turning out to be next to useless in their attempts to track the escapees. Welsh took a mental note of their incompetence. They would be dealt with as soon as she could make time for it.

"I see. Anything else?"

"No."

"Fine. Get the teams to scan each and every floor. I want them found, Riley." She gave her subordinate a cold look she knew he understood. Failure was not an option if he wanted to continue breathing. "Dismissed."

Riley turned on his heel and left the room. Message received.

Welsh picked up her phone again and dialed an internal extension. "Cullen? This is Welsh. Where do we stand with stage three of the project? Are we ready to go?" She listened to the affirmative reply and leaned back. "This is the first piece of good news I've heard all day."

" _It's a shame we were unable to administer another dose to Subject B_ ," Dr. Cullen said. " _However, I feel confident that we should proceed as planned, despite this latest unfortunate development._ "

"What is our window of opportunity?" Welsh asked.

" _Twenty-four hours, starting within the next three to twelve hours,_ " Dr. Cullen replied. " _Tianna is prepared to open the portal as soon as we give her the order. If we don't use this opportunity, we will have to wait another twenty-five to twenty-eight days for the next window._ "

"That's unacceptable," Welsh immediately shot down that idea. "Too much has already been invested into this project for us to wait another month."

" _I agree._ _I have just finished analyzing the results of our latest experiment, and I have every confidence that Lunafreya would be very effective._ " Dr. Cullen sounded very pleased with herself. " _Her magic is very potent._ "

"Will distance be a problem?" Welsh asked. "Sergeant Finn believes that the Subjects are still inside the compound, but there is no evidence to support that yet."

" _Doesn't matter,_ " Dr. Cullen said quickly. " _They could go as far as the west coast and still be reached by the magic._ "

Welsh briefly considered the experiment results the doctor had mentioned. Not all of the patients in the hospital wing were there because of the HSTs that the subjects had released while they were making their escape. "What are your estimates regarding Subject B's survival?"

Dr. Cullen paused before replying, " _Between ninety-three and one-hundred._ "

"Explain."

" _Well, there are several contributing factors to consider. To name a few, physical and mental strength, physical location, and available amenities once the process had started. I can give you an estimation based on the most recent reports, but as the subjects have…departed, I am only as accurate as the reports I am given._ "

Welsh heard the sound of reprimand in the doctor's carefully phrased words but decided to let it slide for the moment. She needed Cullen to complete this project. More to the point, she had yet to find a good replacement. Perhaps it was time to seek one more actively.

" _In short, I am certain that Subject B will not die._ "

"Don't tell me you believe the soulmate crap that the techs have going around." Welsh barked a short laughter. "He loves her too much to kill her? Really, Doc?"

" _I said no such thing_ ," Dr. Cullen's tone turned icy. " _I said I am certain that she will not die. I have studied the events that occurred when Subject B had been declared dead and then miraculously returned to life, and I believe that there is some force keeping her tied to this world. This leads me to believe that even if Subject A were to react in a similar fashion to the way our other test subjects had, Subject B would still survive._ "

Welsh took a moment to consider it. It was still a mystery as to how Buffy Summers was able to cheat death, but she was too valuable alive for Welsh to allow Dr. Cullen to experiment with Subject B's mortality. No matter how much Welsh detested leaving the puzzle unresolved, the project was much too important, and they were too close to succeeding to take unnecessary risks at this stage. Who knew how long it would take them to locate another Slayer, not to mention a counterpart who would be as strong as Subject A had proved to be.

"Good, in that case, I shall have faith in your assessments." Welsh smiled to herself and added, "After all, your survival depends upon your success. I'll instruct Mitch to bring the creature to Observation Two in three hours from now. Start as soon as possible."

With that, Welsh hung up, not bothering with a civil goodbye. Next, she called to her secretary. "Kelly, I want our guest from cell 506 brought over to Observation Two thirty minutes before sunset. Maximum security for the transfer."

" _Yes, Ma'am, I'll take care of it,_ " Kelly replied, and Welsh ended the call.

Turning back to her computer, Welsh checked the latest status updates sent to her by the five teams currently scouring Sunnydale's streets. There had been no sign of either of the subjects, and Welsh was beginning to wonder if Sergeant Finn was correct in his assessment, and the two were still somewhere inside the compound.

Either way, it was still hours away from sunset, which would mean that Subject A would have trouble travelling far, even if they had managed to escape.

_Still, better safe than sorry._

Welsh brought up the email program and sent a quick note to an associate in Los Angeles. It was the closest large city to Sunnydale, and their intel indicated that both subjects had contacts in the city who might be willing to help hide them.

 _It's best to keep all of my bases covered,_ Welsh thought as she hit the _send_ button.

o.O.o

Three hours later, Welsh's phone rang again.

"Yes, Kelly?"

" _The guest has been brought to Observation Two, Ma'am, and Dr. Cullen asked me to inform you that she is starting in five minutes. Riley's ream is securing the immediate area._ "

"Thank you." _Some competency, at last!_

Welsh considered the workload still waiting for her and decided that there was nothing there that couldn't wait to be taken care of until later. She would be taking a much more active role in the project from now on. Dr. Cullen had been given leeway so far, but no more.

Putting her lab coat on, Professor Welsh made her way out of the office and down the long corridor toward the observation rooms. She would keep a very close eye on the proceedings from now on, and she would definitely start actively searching for another doctor to fill in for Dr. Cullen. The woman was a brilliant scientist, but she was much too ambitious for Welsh's taste.

 _Ambition can kill you,_ she thought with a mean smirk on her face. She wanted Project 3-14 to be a success because it would mean a major promotion for her. Not to mention that it would be an opportunity for her to shove it into the faces of those high up in command who doubted her. However, if the project were to fail…Well, she knew exactly who would be thrown under the bus.

_There is a reason why they say that, in the Initiative, failure is a deadly thing._

o.O.o

Professor Welsh watched with satisfaction as the creature—she still found it incredibly stupid that it was called a fairy—cast the spell she had been instructed to. She hated relying on magic, but in this situation, it was the only way. Everything else that they have tried so far had failed miserably.

_Well, if this one fails, I'll have someone ready to throw under the bus for Oversight._

Welsh had no intention of repeating the Adam fiasco. It was not her fault that the idiots who called themselves scientists hadn't taken into account the possibility of Adam developing free will. At least she was smart enough to include a fail-safe override. If she hadn't…

She shook away all thoughts of Adam and failure away as she watched the creature being escorted back to her cell. Cullen had been right. The creature had impressive magical powers, and Welsh was certain that the spell would work.

Walking outside of Observation-Two, she turned to Riley. "Give me a status report."

"Yes, Ma'am," Riley said and joined her as she began to move down the corridor. "We have full control over all of the basement levels. Fifty-seven HSTs confirmed dead, seven critically injured."

"Terminate them," Welsh ordered. "We must conserve our resources."

Riley nodded and relayed the order to Graham. "Thirty-seven dead on our side. Twenty-two injured." Before she could ask or order, he said, "Out of the twenty-two, five have been cancelled. The other seventeen are in medical. Two are critical, six serious, and the rest suffer light injuries and should be back on active duty within twenty-four hours."

"Good," Welsh said curtly. Riley had been doing much better since his first _interview_ with Subject B and the reprimand that had followed. He followed orders and knew when to anticipate and initiate and when to wait for official verdict. She was pleased to see his progress.

"Levels one and three have been fully searched," Riley said, continuing his report as they stepped into the elevator. "Level two is at ninety-percent. Level four is at fifteen percent."

Welsh nodded. "Did James finish with Mike and Eric?" she asked, referring to the two who had been assigned the task of verifying that the Subjects had been secured.

Riley's face remained composed even as he winced internally at the memory of what was left of the two soldiers after James had finished his _interrogation._ "They broke protocol and approached the subjects while they were conscious. Apparently, they have been doing so for a while." He made a disgusted face. "They felt _sorry_ for the subjects and did not use the tranquilizers prior to checking their restraints as ordered. Their keycards have been cancelled, but it had come too late. Subjects A and B gained more keycards while making their escape up the staircase."

The Professor frowned. She might have to order a course of training and evaluation. She could not afford her staff going lax on her, not this close to success.

"All of those keycards have been cancelled," Riley was quick to add, seeing the frown. "Unfortunately, it took a while before we were able to ascertain which had been compromised. It had only been completed a few minutes ago, and I received the update just before you exited the room. The full list should be on your desk by now. I have ordered the search teams to focus their attention on the areas accessible by the compromised keys."

"Good." _Yes, he is indeed doing much better than anticipated,_ Welsh thought. With his previous failings at capturing the Slayer, she had contemplated cancelling him. She was pleased to know that her intuition regarding him had not been wrong. "Call Mr. Giles. Tell him to go ahead with his spell tomorrow evening. This should give them something to do and keep those idiots out of our way. Update me hourly on the progress with the search. Dismissed."

"Yes, Ma'am." Riley saluted and remained in the elevator as professor Welsh exited to go to her office.

* * *

_Tara found her soulmate, but Wesley didn't take it too well. Poor guy, always falls for the wrong woman._

_So, any guesses on what the Initiative really wants to do with Buffy and Angel? I'd love to hear what you think.  
_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death _: Buffy and Angel finally have some alone time, uninterrupted by anyone. Lots of smut, little plot (or is it?)_

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Disclaimer:** _ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of Joss Whedon. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_Fair warning: you might need a cold shower after reading this *wink*._

* * *

**Chapter 28**

Completely unaware that they were the target of several powerful spells, the two Champions lay in each other's arms, sleeping peacefully inside the Initiative's compound. Buffy was still curled into Angel's side, his arms wrapped loosely around her. Even in sleep, he was holding her close to his body, protective.

Thick, glowing tendrils of light rose from the floor and began to twist, splitting and gathering back in thick strands, until they formed a cocoon-like shape encasing the two sleeping Champions. The shell of light pulsed as if it were alive and slowly began to collapse in on itself. With each beat, it grew brighter and smaller, conforming to the shape to the two figures lying on the bed. As the light began to dim, a soft glow remained just on the surface of the skin of each of the champions.

Angel was the first to stir. His hold on his wife and mate tightened for a brief second before he loosened his grip. A soft smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes remained closed. He took a deep breath and savored the scent of her surrounding him. He had missed it. The one night they'd had before being kidnapped was nowhere near enough.

 _Forever will not be long enough with my mate,_ he thought to himself.

The room was pleasantly silent, except for the soft breathing sound Buffy made and the strong beat of her heart. He had worried that he might never hear that sound again. He had tried to shield Buffy as much as he could, but they had both been at the end of their tether.

Chasing away the depressing thoughts of their captivity away, Angel slowly opened his eyes. His smile widened slightly as he was met with the sight of Buffy burrowing into him. Her mouth was slightly parted as she breathed, and her lips were pink and inviting. Her shoulder was bare, and Angel brought his hand to gently caress her skin. It was soft and warm, deceptively delicate. There were still fading bruises on her skin, and he leaned down to place a soft kiss on them.

Once his lips touched her skin, he felt his entire body coming to life with desire. His lips parted, and his tongue slid across the smoothness of her shoulder, making a path up to her neck. He heard her breathing change, felt the beating of her pulse against his lips, and he couldn't hold in the growl of need that came from his chest.

Her scent, her taste, her being surrounded him, and he felt instantly intoxicated. He gently pushed her on her back, and followed to lie on top of her. Their eyes met, and he saw an answering glint of desire in her eyes. They had been too drained to give in to the passion that always lurked between them before falling asleep, but that was no longer true. Feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, they were ready to fulfill other needs.

"Angel," Buffy sighed softly and parted her legs to cradle him between her thighs. _My husband,_ she thought. _My lover, and my mate. Mine._

Angel heard the contentment in her thoughts and smiled down at her. "Buffy." _My wife. My lover. My eternal mate._

Unable to stand the distance between them, he leaned down at the same time as she raised her head, and their lips met halfway. He meant to keep the kiss gentle, to tease her, to prolong the anticipation. They were too hungry for each other. Mere moments after initial contact, they were starving for more. Nipping and licking, sucking and caressing, they made love with their mouths

Buffy leaned back on the pillow and pulled him closer. Angel buried his fingers in her hair and held her, slanting his mouth over hers to deepen the kiss. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and didn't notice the elongating of his fangs until she nicked herself on the sharp edge and the taste of her blood registered on his tongue.

A Slayer's blood was a strong aphrodisiac, and this was his mate he was tasting. Angel growled again, pressing her body harder into the bed. He was rock hard against her softness, and she was moving beneath him in obvious invitation. He devoured her mouth, leaving no corner unexplored by his tongue. His teeth continued to nibble on her lips, sometimes drawing more blood as he simply couldn't force his demonic face back.

It was animalistic and raw, and Angel thanked the heavens that his mate loved it that way.

Buffy was making sounds that were just as raw and demanding as the snarls escaping him. Her hands were clawing at his back as she arched into him. There was liquid fire running inside her veins, burning away all thoughts except those of passion and need.

"Fuck me," she demanded against his lips.

Angel smirked, looking into eyes that were flaming with desire equally as hot as the one that had overtaken him. "With pleasure, my mate."

His nose told him she was ready for him, and Angel couldn't help the deep guttural sound he made as he thrust and filled her body, uniting them. It was the best sensation in the entire universe. He was surrounded by her heat, held tight by her strong muscles, and completely oblivious to everything that wasn't her.

He moved his hands down and placed them under her, lifting her slightly as he set a hard and quick pace. He wanted to offer her gentleness, but the need to take her was too great. Angel found himself unable to loosen his hold on her thighs as he plunged and retreated, unable to slow down as something inside him pushed to take her faster.

"Angel," Buffy cried out, her body arching so high her shoulders left the surface of the bed. "God, yes. Don't stop. Please."

"Not. Going. To stop. Ever." He emphasized his words with thrusts. He watched her face contort in an expression that spoke of pleasure so great it was on the verge of being painful. He leaned back to sit on his heels, never halting his thrusting into her. He didn't believe he could have stopped even if he'd wanted to.

Buffy's eyelids flew open to lock on Angel. He was watching her with a hungry expression, and she felt a smile form on her lips. Her gaze fell lower, tracing the wide shoulders that were slightly slick with sweat, down to his chest. It was smooth, pale, and muscled. She knew how much power his body held, but to her, Angel's strength symbolized comfort and protection, not a threat. She brought her hands up and touched him, caressing that skin that was only slightly colder than her own. His body had stolen some of her warmth while they slept together.

 _Mine,_ she thought. _This beautiful creature is all mine._

Her fingers grazed him, and her smile turned into a smirk when he growled at her in response. She repeated the action, scratching him harder, leaving angry marks on his pale skin. Thoughts of marking him made her look at his neck, where she could see the faint impression her teeth had left there.

She curled her fingers and ran them all the way down his chest and down to her own thighs. Noticing how he was watching her hands, she slowly drew them closer. She had never done this with him before, never felt confident enough to tease him like that. Now, there was no trace of embarrassment as she brought one hand to her mouth and wrapped her lips around two fingers.

"Temptress," Angel hissed, unable to look away from those pink lips. She was sucking her fingers into her mouth and pulling them out, glistening with wetness. _Torturing me,_ he thought. _That's what she's doing to me. Pure torture._

"Learned from…the best," she replied, her voice cracking mid-sentence when he changed the angle of penetration slightly. She took her breast in one hand, massaging her own flesh, and brought her other hand between their joined bodies. She put the two wet fingers between her thighs and moaned loudly when she made first contact with her most sensitive flesh.

Angel's snarl was loud and would have scared anyone else when she began making small circles with her wet fingers, pleasuring herself as he took her.

Buffy was becoming familiar with that particular snarl, and she felt the hint of a smirk forming again on her lips. _The sounds he makes are unbelievably sexy_. She moved her fingers down and felt the slide of his hard body as it exited and entered hers. It was her turn to groan. "So good."

Angel leaned down then, trapping her fingers between their bodies, and took the nipple she wasn't teasing into his mouth. He sucked and nibbled on it and smiled with the tip between his sharp teeth when he felt her body start to contract around him. Keeping his pace steady, he watched his mate as she threw her head back and screamed her release.

A rush of warm wetness welcomed his next thrusts, and the grasp her inner muscles had on his body grew stronger yet. She pulsed and shook, and Angel felt the tightness build in his lower abdomen. He could feel the pleasure she was experiencing though their connection, and it was too much. In the next thrust, he stilled, roaring as his body emptied into hers.

Buffy slumped back down and let out a satisfied sigh at the pulsations of his body inside hers. It amazed her how much in tune with his emotions she was. She _felt_ him reach his peak, and it wasn't just the physical aspect of it. Never before had she been so in accord with him, and she knew she would never be able to part with him again. She wouldn't survive the separation.

Angel lost all sense of time and space as he lay on top of his mate, momentarily drained. His senses were only clear enough to keep most of his weight off her much smaller frame. He felt her shake beneath him and was startled. It took him another moment to realize she was chuckling, not crying or in pain.

"Wow," she breathed. Her chest was rising and falling with heavy breaths as she waited for her heartbeat to return to normal. "That was… Yes, wow about sums it up."

Angel smiled and rolled them over to lie on their sides, his arm holding her close, not ready to break contact between their bodies.

Buffy continued the rolling motion until she was straddling him. Her hands came to grasp his wrists, and she pinned them on either side of his head. "My turn," she declared.

"My—" His voice broke when she took him back inside her warm tightness. His eyes changed color, and he focused an intense gaze on her face as she began to rock on top of him in a torturously slow pace. "Buffy."

She recognized the growl that followed for the warning it was, but she didn't change her pace. She knew he could break her hold on him if he wanted to. They were equally matched in strength.

Buffy changed the angle of her movements and saw his eyes glaze over with pleasure. Leaning down to him, she began to nibble on his jawline and his neck. Placing kisses all over his throat and shoulder, she made a point of licking the scar that her own teeth had left on his body. The jolt of need that shot through her as she made contact with that spot caused her to let out a guttural cry and almost collapse on top of him.

Angel placed one palm on her bottom, encouraging her to move faster while keeping her body pressed close to his. With his other he held the back of her neck and raised his head to lick the mark he had left on her.

"Angel!" she cried out as an even stronger bolt of need shot through her. It was raw desire and pleasure bordering on pain.

Angel thrust his hips upward while pushing her down with his hand. He heard her breath shorten, and she began to pant and make the tiny cries of need and pleasure he knew meant she was getting close to her peak again.

"Yes, my love, my mate. Come for me," he encouraged her.

"Angel," she whimpered. "Yes, yes, please. I need...Yes!"

He smirked when she threw her head back, bringing her perfect breasts close to his mouth, and screamed her pleasure into the room. He felt the quivers of her body as she finally climaxed and, wanting to prolong her pleasure, he continued to grind her on top of him.

Just when Buffy thought that she had no strength left, Angel raised his head and captured her nipple in his mouth. He began suckling on it in long, powerful pulls, and it seemed as though a connection had been made between her nipples and her sex. Not yet recovered from the strong pulsation of one orgasm, Buffy felt another building up.

She was out of breath, completely lost in her mate, and she cried out when he bit down on her breast, drawing blood. But it wasn't from pain. It was from pleasure. The scream was loud and reverberated in the small space of the room as she had no choice but to give in to a climax so great it left her momentarily blind. She felt him drink from her as he found his pleasure inside her body. Through him, she could taste herself. Their connection seemed to grow stronger when their bodies were united, and she felt the wash of animalistic satisfaction he felt as he took her blood, her essence, into him.

Angel knew he would never gain a place in heaven. His soul was much too blackened for it. However, at that moment, with Buffy's body holding him, her scent surrounding him, and her taste on his tongue, he knew even true heaven could never feel this good.

They parted reluctantly but kept their bodies close, and it had nothing to do with the narrowness of the bed. They needed to remain in contact. Even spent for the moment, they caressed each other, placing soft kisses on exposed skin.

"I can never have enough of you," Angel whispered as he moved to kiss the back of her shoulder. "I thought making love to you would take the edge off, make me more mellow, but I hunger for you more with every touch we share."

Buffy moaned when he nipped her nape. He didn't break skin, just raked her with his teeth. "I hope we will never mellow down," she murmured.

He moved to hover over her, his large hands caressing her from shoulder to ass. He paused there, massaging the soft curve of her body. She tried to stifle her sounds of pleasure as he continued to knead her flesh, but he could hear her perfectly.

Angel leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Do you like me touching your ass, my mate?"

Buffy's skin broke out in chills, and she moaned.

He straddled her back, his body hard for her again, and she bucked into him. He slid his hand up the side of her body and caressed the side of her breast as he pressed flush against her back. "Shall I take you like this, Slayer?" he asked in a whisper, his tone seductive and alluring. "Do you want this Master Vampire to fuck you from behind?"

Incredibly aroused by this sudden dirty-mouthed Angel, Buffy found herself speechless. She could feel him sliding between her legs, his hardness caressing her as he moved in a suggestive manner, imitating the motion of his body when he was inside her.

Angel reached between them, massaging her buttocks before his fingers found the entrance to her body. His legs caged her, and he only allowed her to lift herself slightly as he guided himself to sheath in her warmth once again.

"Angel…" She almost sobbed as she spoke his name. The difference in angle of penetration was incredible, and she found that she liked the semi-helpless sensation that she got in that particular position. She knew with every fiber of her being that he would never hurt her. Angel had always made her feel safe, loved, and protected. Now, however, she could feel the rush he received from dominating her like that. She would never in her life submit to another creature. She would, however, gladly repeat the experience with him.

He began to move in and out of her, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep a slow tempo, but it was doomed to fail. He needed her too much, and she felt too good.

Buffy closed her eyes as Angel increased the rhythm of his thrusts. Harder. Faster. He impaled her, and she was a helpless slave to the desire he aroused in her. It was too much and not enough at the same time. She whimpered and bucked upward. _More. I need…more._

Angel growled and used one hand to grab Buffy by her hair, jerking her head back. It wasn't painful, but it was domineering, and as he bit the nape of her shoulder, he released a threatening growl that only seemed to spur them both further into an inferno of passion.

Buffy outright screamed when the orgasm hit her. The wash of release was so overwhelming that, for several long moments, nothing registered but the sensation of flying.

Angel released the tight hold on his emotions when Buffy screamed and joined her in release, a guttural roar of pleasure reverberating in his chest.

Coming down from the high, the two lovers lay on their sides, gasping for breath. Angel's lips held a smile as he listened to the racing beat of his mate's heart in her chest. It was almost as alluring to him as the softness of her skin, the strength her small form held, the scent of her mixed with his…

"Again," he growled. The hunger for her rising so fast it was almost as though it had exploded inside him. "I need you again. This is madness, but I hunger for you more than I ever hungered for anything in my life."

Her eyes sparkling with the same level of desire, Buffy smirked at him. Oh, she knew exactly what he meant. At that moment, there was nothing she wanted or needed more than him. She could go without food, water, and air, but she knew she wouldn't be able to live one more moment without having him.

"Let me taste you, my mate," she murmured against his lips when he kissed her deeply, stealing whatever was left of her breath. "Let me pleasure my mate with my mouth."

"Only if you allow me the same, my beloved," he replied in a husky tone. He was already fully erect for her, and he could smell the rush of desire that filled her body. They were always so in tune, and with their new connection, it only felt better. "Climb on top of me and let me have my own taste as you take me."

Angel growled when she obeyed him instantly. He wanted to introduce her to so much more that he hadn't had the chance to yet, show her that there was a little of the demon in the man. He would enjoy taking her shopping for some items that they would need, but there was something he could introduce her to now.

Opening his mouth, he clasped his lips around the most sensitive part of her body and began sucking it, his fingers holding the petals of her core open for him.

Buffy cried out when he began making love to her with his mouth. The sensation coursing through her overwhelmed her for a moment, making her forget what she'd wanted to do to him for a moment and leaving her a shivering and crying rag.

Angel's satisfied chuckle brought her focus back. She was determined to make him feel just as crazy with what she could do to him. Buffy reached for his hard body and began to work her mouth, hands, and teeth on him. Her thoughts were now solely focused on giving him so much pleasure he forgot his own name.

Angel growled and snarled as she took him deep into her mouth. "Yes, my beloved," he encouraged when she made a sucking motion that felt particularly sensual, taking him in as far as she could. "Remind me to teach you, damn, Buffy…"

She smiled with him between her lips before pulling back to ask, "Remind you to teach me? I believe you are the one left speechless, my Angel."

He hissed when she blew cold air on his now wet skin and swore he would make her beg him for her next release. He slowly slid one finger inside her and pulled it out just as slowly. "I will teach you to take all of me, my mate, every single inch into that naughty mouth of yours," he vowed as he added a second finger inside her. She moaned loudly when he added a third, stretching her deliciously.

Angel continued to lick her around the sensitive bundle of nerves but never touched it. He was teasing her, and he could feel her arousal grow higher, alongside a twinge of frustration. Just as he felt her irritation start to overshadow the desire, he closed his lips on her clit and sucked. Buffy groaned with him in her mouth, and slumped on him, her breasts pressing against his stomach. Her hips began to rock minutely on him, mimicking the riding motion she had done earlier when she was straddling him.

He smiled when she halted her ministrations on him, even though his body protested the loss of her warm wetness. She was receiving too much pleasure from him to be able to focus on giving it to him.

"Are you getting closer, lover?" he asked. When he received no reply from her, he pulled his fingers out.

Buffy growled in protest, and Angel chuckled hoarsely. He pushed two fingers into her and had to close his eyes when her hold on his erection tightened momentarily in response. Once his fingers were sufficiently lubricated, he replaced them with his thumb and placed the damp digits over the tight ring of her back entrance, gently circling the opening. He wanted to take her there, to slide his hard shaft into the one part of her that he had yet to claim. It was a need that suddenly ate at him, demanding to be fulfilled.

 _Soon,_ he promised himself. _Soon, I shall claim this one last part of her._

Angel felt Buffy tense at his first touch, but as he continued to gently message without attempting a penetration, she relaxed and moved her mouth back to him. Focusing his efforts on bringing her as much pleasure as he could, Angel licked and sucked, pushed and retreated, using every bit of his vast experience to bring her pleasure until he could feel she was on the brink of that wonderful precipice once more. When he felt the first pulsations of her body, he finally breached the tight ring with one finger. She was too aroused and too lost in pleasure to tense up.

Lapping at her sensitive flesh, Angel maintained the rhythm of his penetrations and caresses. He wanted to give her as much pleasure as he could. When the peak of her orgasm finally passed, he pulled his fingers out. He was aware of the demands of his body for his own release, but the satisfaction that had washed over his mate was almost as good as finding his own release. Angel knew that he and Buffy would have to look into this later. He not only felt her response but felt her emotions wash over him as though they were his own. He could almost feel an echo of her heartbeat racing inside his chest. They had always shared a connection, but this was so much more. It had to have something to do with the spell Angelus had thrown into the mix.

Not wanting to spoil his mood, Angel pushed aside all thoughts of black magic and his own demon. Buffy had recovered enough to pick up where she had left off, and the sensation of her warm tongue licking him had helped to quickly bring Angel's mind back to focus.

"Yes, my love," he encouraged her. "Suck me. Take my—Oh!"

Buffy smiled inwardly and applied herself into making her mate lose his control. She was determined to give him as much pleasure with her mouth as he did to her with his. That last part he added… She had always thought that it would be painful and something she wouldn't enjoy. How wrong she had been! Now, she definitely wanted to explore more, and she knew she would never have a better teacher than her Angel.

The feeling of being filled by him was overwhelmingly good. As she lowered her head to take him into her mouth, wrapping her fingers around the part of him she couldn't fit, Buffy found herself wondering if having him penetrating her would also feel as good as just his finger had. There was a sliver of fear that it would hurt, but there was also the confidence that Angel would never intentionally cause her pain. Perhaps she would ask him. Later.

 _Right now, I want to make him lose his control. I_ need _him to lose control._

As she heard Angel's breathing pick up, despite him not needing the oxygen, she knew that she was close to her target. He growled, and his hold on her waste tightened.

"Buffy, yes, baby, so good. I'm so close," he muttered, and in the next moment, she felt the tightening of his body before his release hit. Curious at what his taste would be, she kept her mouth on him when he began to pulsate with release. Salty and creamy, she decided as she got the first taste, swallowing around him as he filled her mouth. When he finally was spent, she finally released him from her mouth and licked the few drops that had escaped her lips, making him shiver and growl.

"Sensitive?" she asked. Her voice was husky, and she felt herself growing aroused again just from the sounds he was making.

Angel let out a chuckled and lightly tapped on her thigh. "Turn around."

She obeyed. Slowly. She made sure she touched and teased him for all it was worth as she turned to face him again. Once she was right side up, she placed hot and wet kisses over his torso, pausing to suck on his flat nipples. The rumble that came from him travelled straight to the center of her body and made her ache for him. Again. She couldn't believe the hunger that rose within her. She had just had a mind-blowing orgasm not five minutes ago, but she needed him again as if he hadn't touched her over a year. Buffy could feel the ache building in her and let out a whimper of need.

"I need you," she whispered as she rose to trace the column of his throat. "I need you inside me, my Angel."

At her plea, Angel moved her and impaled her on his once-again hard shaft. He knew it was completely ridiculous that he was hard again so fast. Even knowing that his recovery time was short, this was absurd. That thought was soon lost, though. His mate's heat was once again surrounding him, halting all other thought processes in his brain.

"Ride me, my Buffy," he ordered her, his voice deep and on the verge of a growl. As she began to move on him, he guided her by her thighs to take him deep and hard. He felt her desire wash over him with each thrust. "Yes, my love, just like that."

"Angel," she moaned his name. "This is crazy. I can't get enough of you."

"I don't care if it's crazy," he said, and he meant it. He cared for nothing and no-one other than her and what having her engulf him in her heat and strength was doing to him. "I only care to have you. On me. Touching me. Taking me as deep as you can."

He met her eyes and saw a fire in her gaze that matched the one he felt sweeping through his body. There had to be more to this than their hunger for each other, but Angel couldn't bring himself to care. There was nothing but her and the things they could do to each other, the feelings they could elicit in one another.

As he latched on to one pebbled nipple, Buffy threw her head back and mewled. He sucked hard, knowing that he would be leaving marks on her body. He didn't care. He wanted her to be marked by him in every possibly way. He heard her start to pant for breath, felt the miniscule vibrations of her body as she took her pleasure from him. Using one hand, he pressed her flat against his chest. Taking her mouth in his, he slid his hand down her soft back and over the curve of her ass, loving the feel of her smooth skin beneath his sensitive caress. He pressed his fingers into her flesh as he guided her to ride him even harder. He couldn't get enough of her. Maybe, he never would.

Buffy was too lost in her own pleasure to pay attention to where exactly his hands were. As long as Angel kept touching her, she really did not care where he did so. When his fingers slid between the cheeks of her ass, she found the touch sensual. Even when he slid a finger inside her and began alternating the thrusts of his body and his finger, she only felt more turned on.

"You like that, my mate?" Angel asked, biting down on her full lip. "I hope you like it because I have every intention of claiming you like that before this night is out."

Buffy looked down at him, seeing the desire she felt coursing through her body reflected in his brown eyes. "I want you," she whispered, unable to stop the words or her the sense of curiosity blossoming inside her. It felt so good to be filled by him in every way that she knew it could only feel better.

"Then you shall have me," he growled. "But first, I want you to scream for me. I want you to squeeze me so hard that I ache."

She found herself unable to look away from him. There was fire in his eyes, a promise of sinful pleasure and devilish delight, and she wanted it. "Yes," she breathed. "Please."

Angel pushed a second finger inside her, testing her. Buffy closed her eyes and moaned again. She pressed herself harder against him, riding him like she would a wild horse. The sounds coming out of her throat were animalistic, raw, and Angel found them incredibly appealing on the most basic of levels.

Moving his head lower, he found her breast again and began suckling like a hungry babe. He could feel the jolts of pleasure every time he pulled her flesh into his mouth, matching the pace with the thrusts of his body and fingers. It was almost too good for him, and he feared he might reach the peak before she could, but it was no longer than a minute before Buffy was once again crying out his name, her muscles gripping him so tightly that he indeed ached. She pulsed and shook, and he joined her in hear peak. He didn't even notice when his teeth pierced her flesh until the taste of hear blood hit his tongue, making him climax even harder.

_My eternal mate, I love you._

_I love you, my Angel. My husband. My mate._

* * *

_I have been doing my best to get this story finished before the end of the year, but Musie has other ideas. This might end up my longest story to date with the way things are going._

_Anyway, I hope you're having a good time, and for all of you who celebrate - Marry Christmas!_

_Next time on_ Bring Me to Death: _Cordelia gets a message from the PTB, sending Tara undercover to spy on the Scooby Gang as they work on a spell that just might end up killing someone._

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


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